Definition of PERJURY (original) (raw)

: the voluntary violation of an oath or vow either by swearing to what is untrue or by omission to do what has been promised under oath : false swearing

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The prefix per- in Latin often meant "harmfully". So witnesses who perjure themselves do harm to the truth by knowingly telling a lie. Not all lying is perjury, only lying under oath; so perjury generally takes place either in court or before a legislative body such as Congress. To avoid committing perjury, a witness or defendant may "take the Fifth": that is, refuse to answer a question because the answer might be an admission of guilt, and the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution forbids forcing a citizen to admit to being guilty of a crime.

Examples of perjury in a Sentence

He was found guilty of perjury.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Harry and a group including Hugh Grant are now pushing for police to investigate NGN over perjury and broader cover-ups. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2025 The petitioner has attested under penalty of perjury to the accuracy of its claims and has a substantial interest in enforcing its rights. —Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025 But as Democrats are quick to note, the latest allegations are directly from his ex-sister-in-law and were made under the penalty of perjury. —Al Weaver, The Hill, 23 Jan. 2025 The government relied on applicants affirming that the information was correct under penalty of perjury and other criminal statutes; documents supporting the loans were not required. —Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for perjury