suborn

verb

sub·​orn sə-ˈbȯrn 

suborned; suborning; suborns

transitive verb

1

: to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing

2

: to induce to commit perjury

also : to obtain (perjured testimony) from a witness

subornation

ˌsə-ˌbȯr-ˈnā-shən 

noun

suborner noun

Did you know?

Suborn is from Latin subornare, which translates literally as "to secretly furnish or equip." The sub- that brings the "secretly" meaning to subornare more commonly means "under" or "below," but it has its stealthy meaning in the etymologies of several other English words, including surreptitious (from sub- and rapere, meaning "to seize") and the verb suspect (from sub- or sus- and specere, meaning "to look at"). The ornare (meaning "to furnish") of subornare is also at work in the words ornate, adorn, and ornament.

Examples of suborn in a Sentence

He's accused of suborning a witness.

Recent Examples on the Web

After the 2007 election, in which his Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, came close to receiving a majority, Erdogan began to eliminate all checks on his power: the military, the press, and the judiciary were all suborned. —Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2017

That list of leaders has grown, though none have called for abandoning the package entirely, and Dichter is rumored to have been suborned with an appointment to Gallant’s post. —Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023

As the links that have bound Russia and Ukraine for centuries slowly snap with every passing year, no wonder Putin is worried and thinks this is his last chance to suborn and subordinate. —Tim Judah, The New York Review of Books, 19 Feb. 2022

Prosecutors originally accused Matthew Fletcher, 57, of conspiracy to suborn perjury, obstruct justice and bribe witnesses after obtaining a warrant to listen in on jailhouse phone calls between the attorney and Knight in 2015. —Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2022

Brindley also made national legal headlines for beating his own indictment for suborning perjury in 2015. —Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2020

Combined with countries that have only limited enforcement, 51.9% of global exports come from countries that allow their companies to suborn foreign officials. —Tom Saler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2020

And, moreover, there was now evidence of a pressure campaign that looked a lot like an attempt to suborn perjury. —David French, National Review, 17 Sep. 2019

Russia and separatist Ukraine are not the Soviet Union, but justice is still suborned to theatre, and facts to interests. —The Economist, 25 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

Middle French suborner, from Latin subornare, from sub- secretly + ornare to furnish, equip — more at ornate

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Legal Definition

suborn

transitive verb

sub·​orn sə-ˈbȯrn 

1

: to induce or procure to commit an unlawful act and especially perjury

an attempt to suborn a witness

2

: to induce (perjury) or obtain (perjured testimony) from a witness

an attorney and his client were jointly charged with suborning perjury and perjury, respectively

—W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel

suborner noun

Etymology

Latin subornare, from sub- secretly + ornare to prepare, equip