perjure

American  

[pur-jer] / ˈpɜr dʒər /

verb (used with object)

perjured, perjuring

1. to render (oneself ) guilty of swearing falsely or of willfully making a false statement under oath or solemn affirmation.

   The witness perjured herself when she denied knowing the defendant.

---

perjure British  

/ ˈpɜːdʒə /

verb

1. (tr) criminal law to render (oneself) guilty of perjury

---

Other Word Forms

• perjurement noun
• perjurer noun
• unperjuring adjective

Etymology

Origin of perjure

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin perjūrāre “to swear falsely,” from per- “through,” i.e., “beyond the limits” ( per- ) + jūrāre “to swear,” literally, “to be at law” (derivative of jūs jus ¹ ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

She echoed calls for the PPS to consider bringing charges against any living soldiers suspected of perjuring themselves in relation to the events of Bloody Sunday.

From BBC

She noted Ms Ventura's lawsuit settlement, asking, "why risk it all by perjuring herself at a federal trial?"

From BBC

Colombo appealed the convictions, contending that the case should be dismissed because Michael English, the property manager of the apartment complex where Morris Jr. resided, gave perjured testimony before the grand jury.

From Los Angeles Times

To get around it, couples that wanted to split lied, perjured themselves and manufactured evidence to prove they were entitled to a divorce.

From Salon

As the trials unfolded, there were accusations of police misconduct, excessive use of force, officers perjuring themselves on the stand, witness tampering and racism.

From Los Angeles Times