perjure
Swear a falsehood
To perjure oneself is to lie under oath—to make false statements while legally sworn to tell the truth.
The crime is perjury.
She perjured herself when she denied knowing the defendant.
The word appears almost exclusively in legal contexts and nearly always in the reflexive form.
Bound by formal promise
- swearVow or use profanity
- vowSolemn personal commitment
- affirmationPositive statement of truth
- pledgeBinding promise given
testimony · oath-breaking · forswear · declaration · attestation · affidavit · deposition · solemn
Deliberate falsehood
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- fabricateInvent or manufacture
- falsifyDistort the truth
- deceiveCause false belief
mislead · prevaricate · misrepresent · untruth · fib · dissemble · equivocate · distort
Serious criminal offense
- indictmentFormal charge from jury
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
witness · trial · courtroom · subpoena · cross-examination · defendant · obstruction · contempt
Firmly held belief
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- disbarmentRevoking a lawyer's license
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
fine · contempt · obstruction · prosecution · discredit · disgrace · incarceration · punishment
sworn
Bound by formal promise
- swearVow or use profanity
- vowSolemn personal commitment
- affirmationPositive statement of truth
pledge · testimony · oath-breaking · forswear · declaration · attestation · affidavit · deposition · solemn · witness stand
lie
Deliberate falsehood
deceive · mislead · prevaricate · misrepresent · untruth · fib · dissemble · equivocate · distort · misinform
felony
Serious criminal offense
- indictmentFormal charge from jury
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
testimony · witness · trial · courtroom · subpoena · cross-examination · defendant · obstruction · contempt · impeachment
conviction
Firmly held belief
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- disbarmentRevoking a lawyer's license
penalty · fine · contempt · obstruction · prosecution · discredit · disgrace · incarceration · punishment · sanctions
perjureprove
Establish as fact
vindicate · substantiate · authenticate · validate · verify
- perjury chargeAccusation of lying under oath