oathbreach

/ˈoʊθbɹiːt͡ʃ/

Etymology

From Middle English othbreche, from Old English āþbriċe, āþbryċe (“the breaking of an oath, perjury”), equivalent to oath + breach. Compare West Frisian eedbrek (“perjury”), Dutch eedbreuk (“breach of an oath”), German Low German Eedbröök (“the breach of an oath”), German Eidbruch (“the breaking of an oath”).

oathbreach means breach or breaking of an oath; perjury. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.

Why this word is great

OATHBREACH — [Noun] The act of breaking or violating a sworn promise or formal pledge. From Middle English othbreche, from Old English āþbriċe, āþbryċe ("the breaking of an oath"), equivalent to oath + breach. Unlike "perjury," which denotes the specific criminal offense of lying under oath in a legal proceeding, or "infidelity," which commonly refers to a breach of trust in a personal relationship, oathbreach carries the archaic, metallic weight of a covenant shattered in the public square. It is the cold silence where a vassal’s fealty should be, the dry rot in the timbers of a treaty hall, and the hollow sound of a wax seal cracking on a scroll that will never be delivered—the quiet, structural collapse that makes all future promises mere weather.

noun

Breach or breaking of an oath; perjury.“To this list of deadly crimes, naming house-breaking, arson or fire-raising, open theft (ran), and clear murder and treason to one's lord, the Northmen seem to have added unnatural crime (arg-scap), witchcraft, blasphemy, and oath-breach, [...]”