Definition

1. Verb:
   • To commit perjury: To knowingly make a false statement while under oath in a court of law or other official proceeding, thereby committing the crime of perjury.
   • To forswear oneself: To violate a sworn oath or promise by lying.

Usage

• The verb "perjure" is almost exclusively used in the reflexive form "perjure oneself." It describes the specific, intentional act of lying under a legally binding oath.
• It is a formal term used in legal and judicial contexts.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The witness was afraid to tell the truth and chose to perjure himself on the stand.
  • If you lie under oath, you perjure yourself and can be charged with a felony.

Advanced Usage

• "To perjure oneself": This is the standard and most common construction. It emphasizes that the individual is making themselves guilty of the crime.
  • The prosecutor warned her that she would perjure herself if she did not tell the whole truth.

Variants and Related Words

• Perjury (n): The offense of willfully telling an untruth under oath.
  • He was convicted of perjury for his false testimony.
• Perjurer (n): A person who commits perjury.
  • The judge denounced the witness as a known perjurer.
• Perjurious (adj): Relating to or involving perjury.
  • The lawyer objected to the perjurious statement.

Synonyms

• Forswear: To renounce or swear falsely; a close synonym, though less specific to legal contexts.
• Lie under oath: A descriptive phrase for the act of perjury.

Antonyms

• Testify truthfully: To give evidence or a statement honestly while under oath.
• Swear truly: To take an oath and adhere to it honestly.

Related Phrases

• Commit perjury: A common phrase synonymous with "perjure oneself."
  • The defendant was accused of committing perjury during the trial.

Verb

1. knowingly tell an untruth in a legal court and render oneself guilty of perjury