noun
perjury
PURD-zhuh-ree
noun
1
The crime of deliberately lying while under oath in a legal setting.
"The witness was charged with perjury after contradicting his earlier statement."
How to Use Perjury
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLying under oath, treated as a criminal offense.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
commit perjury
charged with perjury
Word Forms
perjuries plural
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The witness was charged with _____ after contradicting his earlier statement.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman perjurie, from Latin periurare ("to swear falsely").