attest
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to bear witness to; certify; declare to be correct, true, or genuine; declare the truth of, in words or writing, especially to affirm in an official capacity.
to attest the truth of a statement.
-
to give proof or evidence of; manifest.
His works attest his industry.
-
Linguistics. to give evidence of the existence of (a word, phrase, usage, etc.), especially in writing: The dictionary attests this meaning as early as 1890.
The plural form is attested in ancient texts.
The dictionary attests this meaning as early as 1890.
-
to put on oath.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
(tr) to affirm the correctness or truth of
-
to witness (an act, event, etc) or bear witness to (an act, event, etc) as by signature or oath
-
(tr) to make evident; demonstrate
his life of luxury attests his wealth
-
(tr) to provide evidence for
the marks in the ground attested the presence of a fossil
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
attestantnoun
-
attestationnoun
-
attestatornoun
-
attesternoun
-
attestornoun
-
reattestverb (used with object)
-
attestableadjective
-
attestiveadjective
-
unattestedadjective
-
well-attestedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
attestsimple
-
attestssimple
-
have attestedperfect
-
has attestedperfect
-
am attestingprogressive
-
are attestingprogressive
-
is attestingprogressive
-
have been attestingperfect progressive
-
has been attestingperfect progressive
Past
-
attestedsimple
-
had attestedperfect
-
was attestingprogressive
-
were attestingprogressive
-
had been attestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of attest
First recorded in 1590–1600; < Middle French attester, from Latin attestārī “to bear witness to, affirm, confirm” equivalent to at- at- + testārī “to witness” ( see testis ( def. ))
Explanation
To attest is to prove or declare to be true. For example: the fact that you aced the SAT attests to the strength of your vocabulary. Attest and testify come from the same Latin word testari, which means "to declare." Although both words are kind of formal, you often testify in a courtroom, but attest doesn't require a court of law to function. You can attest to anything — that the funny looking shoes toned your thighs, that what someone says is true, or that the new acne medicine really works. To remember it, think of when you pass a test, you attest that you know the material.
Vocabulary lists containing attest
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Posted
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Ancient Period, Before 600 BCE
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As anyone who has been on social media can attest, this was a mistake.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
Plenty of millennials who are now adults will attest to its success.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
I don’t know Justice Thomas, but all who do attest to the man’s cheerfulness and affability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Hugo and his fellow Year 10 French students can attest to the success of this method.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
They could not have been more mistaken: As anybody who knew Albus would attest, he never revealed the remotest anti-Muggle tendency.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Shew said he’s only supposed to be given registrations to process if the would-be voter attests they are a U.S. citizen, as federal law requires.
From Salon ● May 14, 2026
Jean has two personalities, he attests: “the peaceful one here, and the bonkers one onstage.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
"Belen Garijo's brilliant international career attests to her strategic vision and her ability to drive profound and value-creating transformations," board chairman Frederic Oudea said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
Ms. Ackmann also attests to Ms. Parton’s traditional values.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Gorgias’s brother Herodicus is a doctor, and the former attests that when trying to persuade a patient to submit to a course of treatment, his oratory is far more effective than his brother’s medical expertise.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Greenspan, in a 1985 letter to regulators and in testimony to Congress, attested to Lincoln’s financial strength and the prudence of its lending program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
His long, productive career encompassed more than six decades, in each of which his live performances and recordings continually attested to his preeminence as one of jazz history’s most vital, innovative and influential artists.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
The brilliance of “Point Blank” is attested to in the Criterion edition, which features, among other supplemental material, a fascinating commentary track with Mr. Boorman and Steven Soderbergh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
In letters to the court, family and friends, including Perla Hudson, the ex-wife of musician Slash, attested to Sangha’s character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
None of those uses of the wheel was adopted in the Americas, where wheels are attested only in Mexican ceramic toys.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
"Then, the video attesting to the truth would be shown," she says.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
Environmentalists welcomed the shutdown as good news attesting to the country's plan to quit coal mining by 2030, when the last brown coal mine is due to close.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
Cash transactions are banned, and businesses must obtain signed affidavits from sellers attesting where the metal was obtained and keep copies of photo IDs and license-plate numbers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
Just seven weeks later, he got another mortgage for a seven-bedroom, marble-floored neighboring property, attesting that it too would be his principal residence.
From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2025
Records attesting to his death were pullulating like insect eggs and verifying each other beyond all contendon.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
