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

Etymology

Origin of testimony

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

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

The subpoenas seek testimony from Times reporters who worked on a story examining questions surrounding the security capabilities of the aircraft, which was gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

At Jerome Powell’s House testimony in June 2025, there were questions on monetary policy, but also some on housing, digital assets and cybersecurity.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

Mr. Ely provides a few sentences of transcribed testimony before analyzing the case’s factual details and deciphering any unusual language from the period.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The man accused of murdering influential right-wing campaigner Charlie Kirk broke down in tears of regret days after the killing, according to video testimony played in a US court on Thursday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

For the purposes of this testimony, I will pause here to confess two important details, in order to explain what happened after.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Witnesses gave testimonies in homespun terms, and clerks transcribed their statements by hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Campaigners are gathering data and testimonies until July, and plan to file a legal case seeking stronger heat protections and a more effective action plan.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

"There have been many testimonies and messages, and it's really nice to hear so much love, to see so much love," Deschamps added.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

All forming an evidentiary record, the result of more than 10,000 photos and video segments and more than 430 interviews, testimonies and meetings with survivors, witnesses and experts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

The judge addressed only the testimony of Ralph Myers and none of the legal claims we'd presented or any of the testimonies of the other dozen-plus witnesses.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

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