testify
Americanverb (used without object)
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testifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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testified,
past participle, past
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testifying
present participle
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to bear witness; give or afford evidence.
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Law. to give testimony under oath or solemn affirmation, usually in court.
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to make solemn declaration.
verb (used with object)
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testifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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testified,
past participle, past
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testifying
present participle
-
to bear witness to; affirm as fact or truth; attest.
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to give or afford evidence of in any manner.
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Law. to state or declare under oath or affirmation, usually in court.
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to declare, profess, or acknowledge openly.
verb
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to state (something) formally as a declaration of fact
I testify that I know nothing about him
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law to declare or give (evidence) under oath, esp in court
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to be evidence (of); serve as witness (to)
the money testified to his good faith
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(tr) to declare or acknowledge openly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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testificationnoun
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testifiernoun
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retestifyverb
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pretestifyverb (used with object)
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untestifyingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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testifysimple
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testifiessimple
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have testifiedperfect
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has testifiedperfect
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am testifyingprogressive
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are testifyingprogressive
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is testifyingprogressive
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have been testifyingperfect progressive
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has been testifyingperfect progressive
Past
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testifiedsimple
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had testifiedperfect
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was testifyingprogressive
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were testifyingprogressive
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had been testifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of testify
1350–1400; Middle English testifyen < Latin testificārī to bear witness, equivalent to testi ( s ) witness + -ficārī -fy
Explanation
To testify is to make a statement or provide evidence, usually in court. Witnesses testify for the prosecution or defense. If you've ever seen a TV show about lawyers, you've probably seen someone testifying: putting their hand on the Bible, sitting in the witness seat, and telling what they know about a case. Testifying is serious business, but it doesn't always happen in court: If someone knows you're good at math, they can testify to your math skills. Or if you've been to a restaurant, you can testify to your friends that it has awesome desserts.
Vocabulary lists containing testify
Holes
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
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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:
Blacknell also noted that prosecutors failed to call any medical experts to testify whether the crash could be linked to bi-polar disorder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Such images testify to the salience of animals to our predecessors, and these renderings remain psychologically compelling to modern viewers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
“We didn’t have a reason to believe he had done it for sure,” Bowen would later testify, “or we didn’t feel he was the right person.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The proposed rule change led to a groundswell of opposition from some firefighters, who travelled to the state capital to testify about how it has improved their health.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
When Walter received a subpoena from Karen Kelly's husband to testify at a hearing where the Kellys would be fighting over their children's custody, he knew it was going to cause him serious problems.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Her success testifies not only to her artistry, but to her perseverance, dignity and wisdom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
But this week, as Warsh testifies before Congress for the first time as Fed chair, he will go before an audience of lawmakers who will want answers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
Congress will also get its first chance to publicly question administration officials under oath about the war when Army Secretary Dan Driscoll testifies before the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
This is a losing battle by definition, one that testifies to the nihilistic self-hatred and appetite for self-destruction that Baudrillard observed in 2002.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026
“At least now when Celia testifies against him in court, they’ll have a houseful of hard evidence to back her up.”
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
America's top diplomat testified at the trial in March that Rivera had once been a "close friend" and that the two shared an apartment when they were Florida lawmakers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Shipp was convicted and received a life sentence, while Peterson pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and testified against the other two.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Shane Brickley, a property owner in Lone Pine Canyon, testified in support of the project, saying he hoped it would create jobs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
But they were not informed, Ira and another former student who testified told the BBC.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
The only Friedman who testified at the trials was William.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
“I cried about it then, and I am still completely devastated,” she added, testifying from the student union building that has long been the campus hub for protest and advocacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The complainant said in a statement to Canadian broadcaster CBC that the trial was dismissed because she is "unwilling to sacrifice my mental health" by testifying.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Days before the trial, Meta attempted to block Bejar from testifying, a move that the judge denied.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
After Trujillo finished testifying, prosecutors played a video of his earlier sworn statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
And Ella Mae was not so beautiful now as she was when she was singing and testifying, but looked like a sullen, ordinary girl.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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.
