perjury
noun
per·ju·ry ˈpər-jə-rē 
ˈpərj-rē
: the voluntary violation of an oath or vow either by swearing to what is untrue or by omission to do what has been promised under oath : false swearing
Did you know?
The prefix per- in Latin often meant "harmfully". So witnesses who perjure themselves do harm to the truth by knowingly telling a lie. Not all lying is perjury, only lying under oath; so perjury generally takes place either in court or before a legislative body such as Congress. To avoid committing perjury, a witness or defendant may "take the Fifth": that is, refuse to answer a question because the answer might be an admission of guilt, and the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution forbids forcing a citizen to admit to being guilty of a crime.
Example Sentences
He was found guilty of perjury.
Recent Examples on the Web Despite expressing concerns about the sergeant’s work, Circuit Judge Jennifer Schiffer ruled Boles’ errors did not amount to perjury or recklessness. 
Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2022 Maya Alicia Calzada, of Winter Park, faces charges of vehicular homicide, perjury and leaving the scene of a crash causing death, according to an arrest report. Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2022 Milliron guilty on charges of being an accessory after the fact to the murder, obstruction of justice, and two counts of perjury before the grand jury. Jennifer Terker, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2022 Perkins has acknowledged the mistake, and none of the seven justices Tuesday accused him of perjury. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2022 Elizabeth Fox-Doerr, 50, has been in jail since July on a charge of perjury and was hit with the murder charge this week. Paul Best, Fox News, 19 Aug. 2022 The apparent scammers could have been subjected to perjury charges based on submission of fraudulent claim forms, Goldberg added. Curt Anderson, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 Before that, spouses seeking divorce generally had to prove adultery, abandonment, or cruelty, often resorting to perjury in order to obtain a divorce. Grayson Quay, The Week, 9 Aug. 2022 However, the trial to determine exactly how much Jones owed Heslin and Lewis is what has provided the stunning display of courtroom incompetence and potential casual perjury now circulating on social media. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2022 See More
Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2022 Maya Alicia Calzada, of Winter Park, faces charges of vehicular homicide, perjury and leaving the scene of a crash causing death, according to an arrest report. Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2022 Milliron guilty on charges of being an accessory after the fact to the murder, obstruction of justice, and two counts of perjury before the grand jury. Jennifer Terker, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2022 Perkins has acknowledged the mistake, and none of the seven justices Tuesday accused him of perjury. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2022 Elizabeth Fox-Doerr, 50, has been in jail since July on a charge of perjury and was hit with the murder charge this week. Paul Best, Fox News, 19 Aug. 2022 The apparent scammers could have been subjected to perjury charges based on submission of fraudulent claim forms, Goldberg added. Curt Anderson, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 Before that, spouses seeking divorce generally had to prove adultery, abandonment, or cruelty, often resorting to perjury in order to obtain a divorce. Grayson Quay, The Week, 9 Aug. 2022 However, the trial to determine exactly how much Jones owed Heslin and Lewis is what has provided the stunning display of courtroom incompetence and potential casual perjury now circulating on social media. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Legal Definition
perjury
noun
per·ju·ry ˈpər-jə-rē
plural perjuries
: the act or crime of knowingly making a false statement (as about a material matter) while under oath or bound by an affirmation or other officially prescribed declaration that what one says, writes, or claims is true compare false swearing
perjury
noun
as in libel
law the crime of telling a lie in a court of law after promising to tell the truth He was found guilty of perjury. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- libel
- lie
- defamation
- fabrication
- distortion
- exaggeration
- prevarication
- falsehood
- deceit
- ambiguity
- falsity
- untruth
- mendacity
- slander
- fraudulence
- fib
- equivocation
- fairy tale
- fiction
- half-truth
- falsification
- misrepresentation
- obliquity
- deceitfulness
- misstatement
- whopper
- taradiddle
- bluff
- duplicity
- dishonesty
- fable
- tale
- tarradiddle
- pretense
- nonsense
- pose
- story
- misconception
- pretence
- fallacy
- misinformation
- jive
- myth
- humbug
- canard
- misreport
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fact
- truthfulness
- truth
- honesty
- verification
- veracity
- truism
- confirmation
- validation
- authentication
- verity
- substantiation