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

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Etymology

Origin of testimony

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

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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

Only the side wings remain, bearing testimony to its former splendour.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

As Paul Ohm, a law professor at Georgetown University, observed in testimony to the U.S.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026

Two Sigma employees provided personal services to Overdeck during that time, according to court testimony.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

Neither had attended the trial, but they both latched on to Glover's testimony that Diane was a bully.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Yurchenko's testimony did not give the FBI enough evidence to arrest Howard—they needed hard proof of his illegal activities if they were to have any hope of building a case and bringing him to trial.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Key witness testimonies changed over time, the court excluded significant exculpatory evidence and judicial rulings skewed the jury’s view of the evidence against Masterson, his lawyers alleged at the time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

I asked whether he knew the vigil had included testimonies from families in Gaza, which Lenkinski said the protesters had drowned out.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

In another of the personal testimonies during the debate, Labour MP Claire Hazelgrove spoke about her mother's decision to bring her late-stage terminal illness to an end "on her terms".

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

The operation also ghost-wrote official testimonies intended for delivery at the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, drafting them under "specific restrictions" that the speeches not mention the UAE.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 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

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Related Words

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

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