Perjury is the act of deliberately providing false information while under oath, typically during a legal proceeding. It is considered a serious offense, as it undermines the integrity of the judicial system. Witnesses, jurors, or anyone who is sworn to tell the truth in a court of law can be charged with perjury if they willfully lie or make false statements.
The word "perjury" comes from the Latin "perjurium," which means "a false oath." The prefix "per-" means "through" or "completely," and "jurare" means "to swear." Therefore, perjury conveys the idea of fully or falsely swearing to something.