verb
perjure
PURD-zhuh
verb
1
To deliberately lie while under oath, especially in court.
"He perjured himself by denying he was at the scene."
How to Use Perjure
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo lie under oath — almost always used reflexively as "perjure oneself."
Common mistake
Perjure is the verb ("he perjured himself"); perjury is the noun for the crime itself.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
perjure himself
perjure herself
Word Forms
perjured past tense, perjures plural, perjures singular
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He _____ himself by denying he was at the scene.
Etymology
From Old French parjurer, from Latin periurare ("to swear falsely").