Adjacent Words

Swearing definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SWEARING, ppr. Affirming upon oath; uttering a declaration, with an appeal to God for the truth of it.
1. Putting upon oath; causing to swear.
SWEARING, n. The act or practice of affirming on oath. Swearing in court is lawful.
1. Profaneness. All swearing not required by some law, or in conformity with law, is criminal. False swearing or perjury is a crime of a deep dye.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger; "expletives were deleted" [syn: curse, curse word, expletive, oath, swearing, swearword, cuss]
2: a commitment to tell the truth (especially in a court of law); to lie under oath is to become subject to prosecution for perjury [syn: oath, swearing]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Swear Swear, v. i. [imp. Swore, formerly Sware; p. p. Sworn; p. pr. & vb. n. Swearing.] [OE. swerien, AS. swerian; akin to D. zweren, OS. swerian, OHG. swerien, G. schw["o]ren, Icel. sverja, Sw. sv["a]rja, Dan. sv[ae]rge, Icel. & Sw. svara to answer, Dan. svare, Dan. & Sw. svar an answer, Goth. swaran to swear, and perhaps to E. swarm. [root]177. Cf. Answer.] 1. To affirm or utter a solemn declaration, with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed; to make a promise, threat, or resolve on oath; also, to affirm solemnly by some sacred object, or one regarded as sacred, as the Bible, the Koran, etc. Ye shall swear by my name falsely. --Lev. xix. 12. I swear by all the Roman gods. --Shak. 2. (Law) To give evidence on oath; as, to swear to the truth of a statement; he swore against the prisoner. 3. To make an appeal to God in an irreverant manner; to use the name of God or sacred things profanely; to call upon God in imprecation; to curse. [I] swore little; diced not above seven times a week. --Shak. To swear by, to place great confidence in a person or thing; to trust implicitly as an authority. ``I simply meant to ask if you are one of those who swear by Lord Verulam.'' --Miss Edgeworth. To swear off, to make a solemn vow, or a serious resolution, to abstain from something; as, to swear off smoking. [Slang]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Swearing Swear"ing, a. & n. from Swear, v. Idle swearing is a cursedness. --Chaucer.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

swar'-ing.

See OATH; PERJURY; CRIMES; PUNISHMENTS.

Moby Thesaurus

affidavit, affirmation, attestation, bad language, billingsgate, blue language, certification, colorful language, cursing, cussing, deposition, dirty language, dirty talk, dysphemism, evil speaking, execration, filth, filthy language, foul language, imprecation, notarized statement, obscenity, profane swearing, profanity, ribaldry, scatology, statement under oath, strong language, sworn statement, sworn testimony, testimony, unparliamentary language, unrepeatable expressions, vile language, vouching, vulgar language