Perjury
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · English
Definition
Lying under oath - a crime (why honesty is the strategy).
Perjury in plain English
Perjury is lying after you've sworn to tell the truth — for example, in a courtroom or during your citizenship interview, where you promise to be honest before answering. It's not just rude, it's an actual crime you can be punished for. That's exactly why honesty is the smart strategy: a small embarrassing truth is almost always safer than a lie, because getting caught in a lie can wreck your whole case and add a criminal charge on top. When an officer asks you to raise your hand and swear to tell the truth, they mean it counts.
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