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”; sub-, order

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

The newly elected disrict attorney said his office's stance on the case could change if the brothers "completely accept responsibility for their lies of self-defense and the attempted suborning of perjury they engaged in".

From BBC

Lawyers can't advise you to lie, or they will be suborning perjury.

From Salon

Stanford’s former sailing coach pleaded guilty to conspiring with Singer, but no evidence has emerged that Singer suborned any coaches or officials at Harvard.

From Los Angeles Times

As universities are beaten into the shapes dictated by business, so language is suborned to its ends.

From Salon