perjury

noun

Definition of perjurynext
as in libel
law the crime of telling a lie in a court of law after promising to tell the truth He was found guilty of perjury.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perjury Yet Paul's grounds for holding Fauci in contempt ignore that any statements Fauci made July 29 could have exposed him to accusations of perjury or other offenses outside the time period of Biden's pardon. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 30 July 2026 Crawley was charged with second-degree hindering prosecution, offering a false instrument for filing and perjury. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 While Clinton was impeached by the house, he was acquitted of perjury and obstruction of justice charges. — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 Diaz was convicted of cyberstalking, perjury, and obstruction of justice and sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison. — Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for perjury
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perjury
  1. libel
  2. lie
  3. distortion
Noun
  • His contempt for the Jewish state of Israel will lead our city right into a libel suit worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In response, Baldoni — and nine other plaintiffs, including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel — sued the newspaper for libel and false light invasion of privacy, among other claims, over the article, and sought $250 million in damages.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of libel
Noun
  • His prose radiates an ecstatic pessimism, as if lit up from within by the relief of not having to sugarcoat things with comforting lies.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Scammers often use one accurate detail to make a much larger lie feel believable.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said exempting crypto from capital controls would create an unfair distortion.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • For oxygen measurement to be reliable, the industry needs robust sensors, better diagnostics, simpler field verification and installations that reduce the chance of sample distortion.
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of distortion

Browse Nearby Words

perjurious
perjury
perk
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Cite this Entry

“Perjury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perjury. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on perjury

Nglish: Translation of perjury for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about perjury

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