suborn

American  

[suh-bawrn] / səˈbɔrn /

verb (used with object)

1. to bribe or induce (someone) unlawfully or secretly to perform some misdeed or to commit a crime

   The drug cartel suborned the local police department to turn a blind eye to their trafficking.

2. Law.

   1. to induce (a person, especially a witness) to give false testimony.

   2. to obtain (false testimony) from a witness.

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suborn British  

/ ˌsʌbɔːˈneɪʃən, səˈbɔːn, sʌˈbɔːnətɪv /

verb

1. to bribe, incite, or instigate (a person) to commit a wrongful act

2. criminal law to induce (a witness) to commit perjury

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Other Word Forms

• subornation
  noun
• subornative
  adjective
• suborner
  noun
• unsuborned
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of suborn

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin subornāre “to instigate secretly, prepare clandestinely,” originally, “to supply,” equivalent to sub-, preposition and prefix + ornāre “to equip,” from an assumed ordnāre, a derivative of the noun ordō (stem ordin- ) “line, row, rank, grade”; see origin at sub-, order

Explanation

One of the reasons Mafia bosses are so good at avoiding prison is that they know how to suborn witnesses and jurors — that is, to bribe people to lie. After all, it wouldn't be nice if an accident were to happen on the way to court, right? Technically speaking, suborn doesn't just mean induce someone to conveniently "forget" something in the witness stand, or otherwise get creative with their imagination. An inducement to any kind of crime is suborning, but by far the most common use is in the legal sense above. Or "witness tampering," as the cops call it.

Example Sentences

"It is absolutely an adversary in some areas, which tries to steal our intellectual property, or suborn our citizens," says Lord Ricketts.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

“While government agents are permitted to coach cooperating witnesses during the course of an investigation,” he said in an order, “they are not permitted to suborn the commission of a crime.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2020

He’s so important that people even pour their efforts into trying to corrupt or suborn him.

From The Verge • Feb. 4, 2019

Number two, I am well aware and have a lot of experience in observing what the Russians will do to try to suborn American citizens, to get Americans to this to work for them.

From MSNBC • Aug. 18, 2018

So as Mr. Copplestone knew all about her in July, he was not likely to suborn a draughtsman in November.

From The Lost Naval Papers by Copplestone, Bennet