perjure Meaning, Definition & Usage

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

F. parjurer, L. perjurare, perjerare; per through, over + jurare to swear. See Jury.

imperfect & past participle Perjured ; present participle & verbal noun Perjuring

To cause to violate an oath or a vow; to cause to make oath knowingly to what is untrue; to make guilty of perjury; to forswear; to corrupt; -- often used reflexively; as, he perjured himself.
Want will perjure The ne'er-touched vestal. Shak.
To make a false oath to; to deceive by oaths and protestations. Obs.
And with a virgin innocence did pray For me, that perjured her. J. Fletcher.
Syn. -- To Perjure, Forswear. These words have been used interchangeably; but there is a tendency to restrict perjure to that species of forswearing which constitutes the crime of perjury at law, namely, the willful violation of an oath administered by a magistrate or according to law.