perjury

American  

[pur-juh-ree] / ˈpɜr dʒə ri /

noun

Law.

plural

perjuries

1. the willful giving of false testimony under oath or affirmation, before a competent tribunal, upon a point material to a legal inquiry.

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perjury British  

/ ˈpɜːdʒərɪ, pɜːˈdʒʊərɪəs /

noun

1. criminal law the offence committed by a witness in judicial proceedings who, having been lawfully sworn or having affirmed, wilfully gives false evidence

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Other Word Forms

• nonperjury noun
• perjurious adjective
• perjuriously adverb
• perjuriousness noun

Etymology

Origin of perjury

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English perjurie, from Anglo-French, from Latin perjūrium, from perjūr(us) “swearing falsely” ( perjure ) + -ium -ium; replacing parjure, from Old French, from Latin, as above

Example Sentences

Although no court found that Mr. Novick had committed perjury or any other crime, the mere allegation put him on a police blacklist.

From The Wall Street Journal

At least two questioned the DOJ’s actions in these cases, with one warning that a federal official’s inaccurate declaration could be interpreted as perjury.

From Los Angeles Times

Interim UVA President Paul Mahoney must certify compliance on penalty of perjury, but the agreement doesn’t include fines or serious penalties.

From The Wall Street Journal

The investigation resulted in the conviction four years later of Cheney aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby for perjury and obstruction of justice.

From Los Angeles Times

The perjury charges relate to claims made by Hernandez on his Statement of Economic Interests public disclosure forms, also known as the Form 700, the district attorney said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deception
• dishonesty
• falsehood
• falsification