perjury
noun
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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
Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 13 June 2024
Marilyn Mosby, 44, is slated to appear before a federal judge Thursday for the start of a sentencing hearing after being found guilty of two counts of perjury following a four-day November trial.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 23 May 2024
The verdict came about three months after another jury convicted the once-high-profile prosecutor on two counts of perjury, relating to the withdrawal of COVID funds from the city’s Deferred Compensation Plan.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 17 May 2024
Colton, who represented herself in the perjury case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for perjury 
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Cite this Entry
“Perjury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perjury. Accessed 6 Jul. 2024.
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perjury
noun
Legal Definition
perjury
noun
Anglo-French perjurie, parjurie, from Latin perjurium, from perjurus deliberately giving false testimony, from per- detrimental to + jur-, jus law
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