What does suborn mean?
Suborn is a formal verb meaning to induce someone to give false testimony or to corrupt an official proceeding, especially by bribery, intimidation, or deception. In its most familiar legal sense, it refers to persuading a witness to lie under oath, making expressions such as suborn perjury and suborn testimony especially common. The word can also describe obtaining a result through corrupt or improper means, although this sense is less common and can sound deliberately formal or archaic. Suborn is used chiefly in legal, journalistic, and political contexts. Unlike the general verb lie, it focuses not only on a false statement but on the deliberate effort to make another person or institution participate in the deception. It is therefore a useful term when describing the manipulation of witnesses, evidence, or justice.
verbTo induce someone to give false testimony or commit perjury, especially by bribery, intimidation, or deception. It can also mean to procure something through corrupt or improper means.
- To induce or procure someone to give false testimony, especially by bribery, threats, or other improper influence.
- To obtain or bring about something through corruption or deception.
"The witness was accused of having been suborned to conceal the evidence."
"The defendant was charged with attempting to suborn a witness."
"No one should suborn the course of justice by presenting false information as genuine."
In law, suborn describes not merely lying, but the deliberate act of getting another person to lie under oath.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does suborn come from?
Suborn comes from Latin subornare, originally meaning to furnish or equip, especially for a purpose. In legal Latin, it developed the sense of inducing someone to make a false statement, probably through the influence of bribery or improper means. Its development reflects a semantic shift from providing something to another person toward providing them with false testimony or corrupt assistance. The word is related to the Latin root ornare, meaning to adorn or equip, which also underlies words such as ornament, ornate, and adorn.
Related word forms
How suborn is actually used
This is a formal and primarily legal term. It is stronger and more specific than simply accusing someone of lying, because it implies an active effort to secure false testimony or corrupt an official process.