testify
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to bear witness; give or afford evidence.
-
Law. to give testimony under oath or solemn affirmation, usually in court.
-
to make solemn declaration.
verb (used with object)
-
to bear witness to; affirm as fact or truth; attest.
-
to give or afford evidence of in any manner.
-
Law. to state or declare under oath or affirmation, usually in court.
-
to declare, profess, or acknowledge openly.
verb
-
(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
-
law to declare or give (evidence) under oath, esp in court
-
to be evidence (of); serve as witness (to)
the money testified to his good faith
-
(tr) to declare or acknowledge openly
Other Word Forms
- pretestify verb (used with object)
- retestify verb
- testification noun
- testifier noun
- untestifying adjective
Etymology
Origin of testify
1350–1400; Middle English testifyen < Latin testificārī to bear witness, equivalent to testi ( s ) witness + -ficārī -fy
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.
They called to the stand the military commander who testified that Yoon had ordered the arrest of lawmakers.
From BBC
The victims, two male flight attendants, testified that Woodbury’s actions left them fearful for their safety and disrupted their ability to do their jobs during a cross-country flight in April 2025, according to prosecutors.
From Los Angeles Times
Two other alleged members of the Cartel of the Suns are already in American prisons, and could testify against Maduro.
As many England fans would testify, Gareth Southgate took on an England team that was seen as underachieving, and restored a degree of national pride to the game.
From BBC
“Wildfires tend to smolder for long periods of time,” Araujo testified.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
