suborn

[ suh-bawrn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to bribe or induce (someone) unlawfully or secretly to perform some misdeed or to commit a crime

   The drug cartel suborned the local police department to turn a blind eye to their trafficking.

2. Law.
   1. to induce (a person, especially a witness) to give false testimony.
   2. to obtain (false testimony) from a witness.

suborn

/ ˌsʌbɔːˈneɪʃən; səˈbɔːn; sʌˈbɔːnətɪv /

verb

1. to bribe, incite, or instigate (a person) to commit a wrongful act
2. criminal law to induce (a witness) to commit perjury

Derived Forms

• subˈorner, noun
• subornation, noun
• subornative, adjective

Other Words From

• sub·or·na·tion [suhb-awr-, ney, -sh, uh, n], noun
• sub·or·na·tive [s, uh, -, bawr, -n, uh, -tiv], adjective
• sub·orner noun
• unsub·orned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of suborn¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin subornāre “to instigate secretly, prepare clandestinely,” originally, “to supply,” equivalent to sub-, preposition and prefix + ornāre “to equip,” from an assumed ordnāre, a derivative of the noun ordō (stem ordin- ) “line, row, rank, grade”; sub-, order

Word History and Origins

Origin of suborn¹

C16: from Latin subornāre, from sub- secretly + ornāre to furnish

Example Sentences

Lawyers can't advise you to lie, or they will be suborning perjury.

From Salon

Stanford’s former sailing coach pleaded guilty to conspiring with Singer, but no evidence has emerged that Singer suborned any coaches or officials at Harvard.

From Los Angeles Times

Shredding decency, inviting foreign interference in our elections, suborning insurrection: All those trespasses could be tolerated.

From Los Angeles Times

"It feels like going back into a type of slavery and control, where other people get to decide they will suborn me," she said.

From BBC

“But with Ukraine suborned and then subordinated, Russia automatically becomes an empire.”

From Seattle Times