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:
His tireless travel schedule and quick wit testify to his stamina -- and he also credits his third wife Rosangela da Silva, 59, with keeping him young.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
"As people who watched it will testify, he did an incredible job, absolutely incredible, and in a short space – 24 hours – he pulled that together," Clarke said.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
At a time when Black people were often prohibited from testifying in court, habeas became a vehicle by which they could testify to the facts underlying their claims.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Attempts to get Ellison to testify in Congress have fallen short.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
For the next few weeks, until July 27, the lawyers called witnesses to testify, and argued the case.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
The new chairman, who testifies this week, hasn’t tipped his hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 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
The number of social-media groups and threads predicated on the opinion that Bowlero/Lucky Strike absolutely sucks testifies to the number of both serious bowlers and casual enthusiasts who see the corporation as an invasive rot.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
That Lionsgate is giving what might be their one and only team-up a wide release testifies to the studio’s confidence that it will be one of the defining stunt films of the decade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
That landscape testifies to the population densities achieved in the highlands by farmers with stone tools.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Earlier that day, however, witnesses testified that Powers had argued with a mutual acquaintance of Byrd and Roberts named Bud.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
There was no physical evidence tying him to the killing, and a dozen people testified that Brooks was at a family party at the time of the shooting.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
In an affidavit released on Wednesday, investigators testified that Farinacci admitted in a police interview to having planned the fire, known as the Old Trails Fire, two weeks in advance.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
In 2017, Adelkoff’s 20-year-old daughter testified in a lawsuit that she was raised in Hawaii and that her mother lives there “year-round.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Myers testified this man had black-gray hair and allegedly talked to McMillian.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
At a time when Black people were often prohibited from testifying in court, habeas became a vehicle by which they could testify to the facts underlying their claims.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Warsh is testifying this morning before Congress to lay out his inflation-fighting strategy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Dean was the first high-profile figure to bring attention to the issue, testifying before a House subcommittee in 2020 and appearing at several more in the years that followed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
It helps, too, that as writers, directors and actors, those testifying knew how to use words to maximum effect—whether to obscure or reveal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
“You know,” said Ishmael, “when you were testifying, Art, you mentioned a coffee cup on the floor here, remember? Where was that exactly, the coffee cup? Do you remember exactly where it was?”
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
