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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Recent Examples of perjury
It was also accused of perjury, as many men—dead, or President—have been.
—
Jane Bua, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
When the state called him to the witness stand, Hall largely denied sharing information about Jaquan Wright in meetings with prosecutors, committing perjury in the state’s view.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Both of those events took place in 2016, well outside the statute of limitations, but prosecutors are probing whether Brennan committed perjury when testifying under oath about these events before Congress in 2023.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
At the tail end of the arraignment, Meier made a motion that the perjury case be merged with the charges in Worcester.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perjury
Jane Bua, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
When the state called him to the witness stand, Hall largely denied sharing information about Jaquan Wright in meetings with prosecutors, committing perjury in the state’s view.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Both of those events took place in 2016, well outside the statute of limitations, but prosecutors are probing whether Brennan committed perjury when testifying under oath about these events before Congress in 2023.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
At the tail end of the arraignment, Meier made a motion that the perjury case be merged with the charges in Worcester.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perjury
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perjury
Noun
-
The essays led to the arrest and trial of the Journal’s publisher, John Peter Zenger, for libel.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Actual malice is the legal standard by which courts determine if someone is liable for libel.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The point was to conform language to lies, to narrow the range of thought, to obscure the truth, and, over time, to get people to believe in illusions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There were no lies told about this team’s postseason prowess.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Well, first of all, the news distortion stuff is also nonsense, right?—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The other is a deliberate distortion.—
Baltimore Sun,
Twin Cities,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perjury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perjury. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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