perjure

[pur-jer]

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

/ ˈpɜːdʒə /

verb

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

Other Word Forms

• perjurement noun
• perjurer noun
• unperjuring adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perjure¹

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. ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of perjure¹

C15: from Old French parjurer, from Latin perjūrāre, from _per- + jūrāre to make an oath, from jūs law

Example Sentences

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

But a federal judge suggested that Cohen perjured himself either in his testimony or his guilty plea.

From Seattle Times