YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

perjury

Noun

IPA /ˈpɜːdʒəri/

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Meaning in plain English

The crime of knowingly lying in court after formally promising to tell the truth.

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Pronunciation

perjury/ˈpɜːdʒəri/

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A witness promises to tell the truth
The witness knowingly lies
A false statement under oath

Perjury is knowingly lying in court after formally promising to tell the truth.

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The crime drama ends with a witness admitting perjury.
Our law lecturer used a fictional trial to explain perjury.

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The crime drama ends with a witness admitting ________.

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perjury — The crime of knowingly lying in court after formally promising to tell the truth.

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The crime of knowingly lying in court after formally promising to tell the truth.

Compare: The crime drama ends with a witness admitting perjury.

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Word origin

From French perjurie and Latin perjurium, meaning a false oath.

Did you know?

The usual verb is commit: a witness can commit perjury.

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