testimony

American  

[tes-tuh-moh-nee, -muh-nee] / ˈtɛs təˌmoʊ ni, -mə ni /

noun

• testimonies
  plural

1. Law. the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court.

   Synonyms:

   attestation, deposition

2. evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof.

   Synonyms:

   corroboration

3. open declaration or profession, as of faith.

   Synonyms:

   affirmation

4. Usually testimonies. the precepts of God.

5. the Decalogue as inscribed on the two tablets of the law, or the ark in which the tablets were kept. Exodus 16:34; 25:16.

6. Archaic. a declaration of disapproval; protest.

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testimony British  

/ ˈtɛstɪmənɪ /

noun

1. a declaration of truth or fact

2. law evidence given by a witness, esp orally in court under oath or affirmation

3. evidence testifying to something

   her success was a testimony to her good luck

4. Old Testament

   1. the Ten Commandments, as inscribed on the two stone tables

   2. the Ark of the Covenant as the receptacle of these (Exodus 25:16; 16:34)

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Synonym Usage

See evidence.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pretestimony
  noun
• retestimony
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• testimonies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of testimony

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin testimōnium, equivalent to testi(s) “witness” + -mōnium noun suffix; see -mony

Explanation

When you give testimony you are telling what you saw or what you know. Your testimony that your hand was not in the cookie jar goes against the testimony of several eyewitnesses. The Latin root for testimony is testis, meaning “ witness.” “Eye witness testimony” is a phrase you will hear often in legal discussions. An object can also give testimony, without speaking of course: "The statue they built of you outside the bowling alley offers testimony to your greatness."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

testimony testimonies

On Aug. 14, the BBC asked a federal court in Miami for permission to compel testimony and records from Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Kushner concerning the drafting and meaning of the speech.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

“I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Kaley, a young woman who prevailed in her lawsuit against Meta earlier this year, described during court testimony how she created dozens of accounts on YouTube and Instagram.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

In those cases both her handling of evidence and testimony are being looked at.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

But official records and the contemporaneous testimony of friends do not seem to support her version of their ages.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

In testimonies from members, nurses reported how they had been left dripping in sweat from "head to toe" while seeing patients.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

It comes as Union released testimonies from ambulance workers describing the difficult and "vile" conditions they have had to work in.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Ever since the mural was put up, I look at it out of pure joy,” Leventhal, a senior director at the USC Shoah Foundation, which archives testimonies of Holocaust survivors, told the Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

During one of his first congressional testimonies, Greenspan received an earful from senators after suggesting the Fed was going to have to cool down the labor market by raising rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

During some witness testimonies, Guiteau made a show of ignoring the speaker on the stand by reading his newspapers and brushing away flies around his head.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• affidavit
• data
• demonstration
• deposition
• documentation
• evidence
• information
• statement
• testament
• witness