sworn

American

[swawrn, swohrn] / swɔrn, swoʊrn /

verb

past participle of swear.

adjective

having taken an oath.

a duly elected and sworn official.
bound by or as if by an oath or pledge.
avowed; affirmed.

He is my sworn enemy.

sworn British

/ swɔːn /

verb

the past participle of swear

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

bound, pledged, or made inveterate, by or as if by an oath

a sworn statement
he was sworn to God

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sworn

First recorded in 1275–1325, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

sworn

When he was sworn in, on the first occasion he testified, Letby burst into tears, in what was the first display of emotion from her during the trial.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Hichilema is due to be sworn in for a second term on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

Hochman at first defended the charges, pointing out that as a sworn officer, Flores had an even higher duty to adhere to the letter and spirit of the law.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Soon after being sworn in, he froze research funding at some universities and demanded changes in faculty and curriculum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

‘Look, if I tell you something, you must promise not to say a word, okay? I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but it’s killing me!’

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023