attest
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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to give proof or evidence of; manifest.
His works attest his industry.
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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.
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to put on oath.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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(tr) to affirm the correctness or truth of
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to witness (an act, event, etc) or bear witness to (an act, event, etc) as by signature or oath
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(tr) to make evident; demonstrate
his life of luxury attests his wealth
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(tr) to provide evidence for
the marks in the ground attested the presence of a fossil
Other Word Forms
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"
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Posted
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The Ancient Period, Before 600 BCE
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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.
Canada and Australia who said they’re not OK with AI in ads, according to a January poll from research company Attest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
But consumer researcher Attest predicts U.S. shoppers will spend an average of $101-$200 on Black Friday this year, about the same as last year and down from $300-$500 in 2021.
From Washington Times • Nov. 15, 2023
The “stark statistic” comes from food prices remaining “stubbornly high” even as inflation has cooled in other sectors of the economy, said Attest CEO Jeremy King.
From Washington Times • Sep. 13, 2023
According to consumer research platform Attest, 19% of Americans got a new pet during the pandemic.
From Washington Times • May 19, 2022
Thy wounds and scars, Thy weird, bewildering forms, Attest thine everlasting wars— Thy heritage of storms And still what peace!
From The California Birthday Book by Various
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.
