perjure
to lie under oath
Root
- jur / jus: law, oath, or sworn duty
Other words with the jur / jus root
- abjure: to renounce formally
- adjure: to urge solemnly or command under oath
- conjure: to summon, call up, or bring to mind
- judge: to decide after considering evidence
- judicious: showing sound judgment, wisdom, or good sense
- juridical: relating to law or legal proceedings
- jurisdiction: official legal authority over an area or case
- jurisprudence: the theory or philosophy of law
Jur keeps oath or law nearby. To perjure yourself is to break the oath by lying under it.
She refused to perjure herself, even when the lie would have protected her friend.
Perjury is not ordinary lying. The setting matters: a promise has been made before the law, and the lie breaks that promise.