perjury
n. uncountablen. the crime of telling a lie in a court of law after you have promised to tell the truth.
n. the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding.
The witness was charged with perjury after lying about the accident.
The prosecutor warned the defendant that committing perjury would lead to a much harsher prison sentence than the original charge.
Legal experts noted that while the defendant's testimony was inconsistent, proving perjury requires demonstrating a deliberate intent to deceive rather than a mere failure of memory.
From Anglo-Norman perjurie, from Latin perjūrāre (“swear falsely”), from per- + jūrāre. Displaced native Old English mānāþ (literally “false oath”).
Typically used as an uncountable noun; often follows the verbs 'commit' or 'be charged with'.