# sworn

/ˈswɔɹn/ (US) · /swˈɔːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sworn
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. under legal oath

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

promised or stated officially and legally, usually in a court of law.

For teachers: given or declared under a formal or legal oath, ensuring the truth of the statement.

- The witness provided a sworn statement to the police about what she saw.
- The attorney submitted a sworn affidavit to the court, asserting that the evidence had been tampered with before the trial began.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

### 2. determined enemies

adjective · CEFR B2

describing people who have promised to be enemies or to disagree forever.

For teachers: bound as if by an oath to a particular state of relationship, most commonly used with 'enemies'.

- The two families have been sworn enemies for many generations.
- Despite being sworn enemies in the political arena, the two senators maintained a surprising level of mutual respect in private.

Usage: Almost exclusively used in the collocation 'sworn enemies'.

## Examples

- The witness has sworn to tell the truth.
- The newly elected officials were sworn into office during a ceremony at the city hall this morning.
- Having sworn an oath of secrecy, the researchers were unable to disclose the source of their funding or the specific nature of the data they had collected.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.