testify
Americanverb (used without object)
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to bear witness; give or afford evidence.
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Law. to give testimony under oath or solemn affirmation, usually in court.
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to make solemn declaration.
verb (used with object)
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to bear witness to; affirm as fact or truth; attest.
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to give or afford evidence of in any manner.
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Law. to state or declare under oath or affirmation, usually in court.
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to declare, profess, or acknowledge openly.
verb
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(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
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law to declare or give (evidence) under oath, esp in court
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to be evidence (of); serve as witness (to)
the money testified to his good faith
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(tr) to declare or acknowledge openly
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of testify
1350–1400; Middle English testifyen < Latin testificārī to bear witness, equivalent to testi ( s ) witness + -ficārī -fy
Explanation
To testify is to make a statement or provide evidence, usually in court. Witnesses testify for the prosecution or defense. If you've ever seen a TV show about lawyers, you've probably seen someone testifying: putting their hand on the Bible, sitting in the witness seat, and telling what they know about a case. Testifying is serious business, but it doesn't always happen in court: If someone knows you're good at math, they can testify to your math skills. Or if you've been to a restaurant, you can testify to your friends that it has awesome desserts.
Vocabulary lists containing testify
Holes
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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.
Bondi, who was removed from her post as America's top law enforcement officer by US President Donald Trump in April, will testify on the US Justice Department's handling of its release of the Epstein files.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
While other Spanish prime ministers have been called to testify in corruption cases, this is the first time in Spain's modern history that a former premier has been placed under formal investigation.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
When called back to testify, Fuhrman invoked the 5th Amendment, refusing to answer questions about whether he had manufactured evidence.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
In a statement to the BBC, the committee co-chairs acknowledged that Brosseau had asked to testify, but said evidence from professionals and associations was proritised due to "limited time".
From BBC • May 15, 2026
The one thing she didn’t want was for Sasha to have to fly back from Massachusetts in the middle of the term to testify at a trial.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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.
