attest

American  

[uh-test] / əˈtɛst /

verb (used with object)

1. 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.

2. to give proof or evidence of; manifest.

   His works attest his industry.

3. 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.

4. to put on oath.

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verb (used without object)

1. to testify or bear witness (often followed byto ).

   to attest to the reliability of an employee.

noun

1. Archaic. witness; testimony; attestation.

attest British  

/ ˌætɛˈsteɪʃən, əˈtɛst /

verb

1. (tr) to affirm the correctness or truth of

2. to witness (an act, event, etc) or bear witness to (an act, event, etc) as by signature or oath

3. (tr) to make evident; demonstrate

   his life of luxury attests his wealth

4. (tr) to provide evidence for

   the marks in the ground attested the presence of a fossil

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Other Word Forms

• attestable adjective
• attestant noun
• attestation noun
• attestator noun
• attester noun
• attestive adjective
• attestor noun
• reattest verb (used with object)
• unattested adjective
• well-attested adjective

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” ( 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.

Example Sentences

Ed Egilinsky, managing director and head of sales at the financial-products provider Direxion, can attest to that.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

“My wife and my kids can attest, I was laughing as if I saw them for the first time,” Oliver said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Maybe I was feeling pressure to maybe push to be interesting — that’s all I can attest it to.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Meanwhile, a more senior prosecutor named Mark Coyne would attest that Habba was not running the office and that the triumvirate was following the law.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

The tribes of the North and the South have long had contact, at least as far back as the ninth century, as some of the magnificent beads discovered at the historic Igbo-Ukwu site attest.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• authenticate
• corroborate
• demonstrate
• indicate
• substantiate
• swear
• verify