'伪证' (wěizhèng) literally combines '伪' (wěi), meaning 'false', 'fake', or 'counterfeit', and '证' (zhèng), meaning 'evidence', 'testimony', or 'proof'. Together, it refers specifically to false or deliberately misleading testimony given under oath in a legal context — what English calls 'perjured testimony'. It may also extend to fabricated physical evidence intended to deceive judicial proceedings. Unlike general lies, 伪证 carries serious legal consequences in China, including criminal liability under Article 305 of the Criminal Law.

This term appears almost exclusively in formal, legal settings: courtrooms, police investigations, legal documents, or news reports about judicial misconduct. It is not used for everyday dishonesty or minor deceptions — those would be described with words like '撒谎' (sāhuǎng) or '欺骗' (qīpiàn). The gravity of 伪证 reflects the Chinese legal system’s strong emphasis on truthfulness in official proceedings and the integrity of judicial outcomes.