bear false witness

[ bair fawls wit-nis ]

idiom

1. knowingly state as fact that which is untrue; begin or perpetuate a rumor by lying about a person, thing, or event:

   They collaborated to bear false witness against the innocent financial officer, which effectively ended his career.

2. knowingly give untrue testimony, as in a court of law; commit perjury:

   When she bore false witness on the stand by lying about seeing Jones at the crime scene, did she not realize what the penalty for perjury is?

Word History and Origins

Origin of bear false witness¹

First recorded in 1350–1400

Example Sentences

At one point, Walker turned to Warnock and said: “Do not bear false witness, senator.”

From Washington Post

“It’s OK to speak the truth. Do not bear false witness, senator,” shouted Mr. Walker, who said the evictions were “written about in the paper.”

From New York Times

One of the problems with deceitfully accusing your political opponents of moral abominations falls under the purview of the Ninth Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

From Washington Post

You shall bear false witness against the integrity of U.S. elections.

From Slate

Another MP, Paula Yacoubian, said she could no longer bear ‘“false witness” to the parliament.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• deceive
• mislead
• misrepresent
• promote