suborn
[ suh-bawrn ]
/ səˈbɔrn /
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verb (used with object)
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.
Law.
- to induce (a person, especially a witness) to give false testimony.
- to obtain (false testimony) from a witness.
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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
OTHER WORDS FROM suborn
sub·or·na·tion [suhb-awr-ney-shuhn], /ˌsʌb ɔrˈneɪ ʃən/, nounsub·or·na·tive [suh-bawr-nuh-tiv], /səˈbɔr nə tɪv/, adjectivesub·orn·er, nounun·sub·orned, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use suborn in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for suborn
suborn
/ (səˈbɔːn) /
verb (tr)
to bribe, incite, or instigate (a person) to commit a wrongful act
criminal law to induce (a witness) to commit perjury
Derived forms of suborn
subornation (ˌsʌbɔːˈneɪʃən), nounsubornative (sʌˈbɔːnətɪv), adjectivesuborner, nounWord Origin for suborn
C16: from Latin subornāre, from sub- secretly + ornāre to furnish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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