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
Derived Forms
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attestantnoun
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attestationnoun
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attestatornoun
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attesternoun
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attestornoun
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reattestverb (used with object)
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attestableadjective
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attestiveadjective
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unattestedadjective
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well-attestedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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attestsimple
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attestssimple
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have attestedperfect
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has attestedperfect
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am attestingprogressive
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are attestingprogressive
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is attestingprogressive
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have been attestingperfect progressive
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has been attestingperfect progressive
Past
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attestedsimple
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had attestedperfect
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was attestingprogressive
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were attestingprogressive
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had been attestingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
"People who know me will attest I'm a little fond of football," the Pope said at the mass.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
As anyone who has been on social media can attest, this was a mistake.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
Ultimately, there are only three ways to deal with higher prices from chip suppliers, as the airlines can attest when oil rises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Reed was capable of this kind of transformation whenever he was inspired by greatness, which was often, though as any reviewer can attest, not often enough.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
The Ellens could attest that in fifteen years, Minya’s will had never faltered, not even in her sleep.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Shew said he’s only supposed to be given registrations to process if the would-be voter attests they are a U.S. citizen, as federal law requires.
From Salon ● May 14, 2026
"Belen Garijo's brilliant international career attests to her strategic vision and her ability to drive profound and value-creating transformations," board chairman Frederic Oudea said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
Ms. Ackmann also attests to Ms. Parton’s traditional values.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
As the ending of the musical attests, there may be a way to do both, to be politically engaged and still enjoy the beauty of the world around you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
Gorgias’s brother Herodicus is a doctor, and the former attests that when trying to persuade a patient to submit to a course of treatment, his oratory is far more effective than his brother’s medical expertise.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
They must be segregated from issuer assets, independently attested and subject to federal supervision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
His long, productive career encompassed more than six decades, in each of which his live performances and recordings continually attested to his preeminence as one of jazz history’s most vital, innovative and influential artists.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
In letters to the court, family and friends, including Perla Hudson, the ex-wife of musician Slash, attested to Sangha’s character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
She did all this, he continued, “while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posting on her recently deleted Instagram account.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026
Auburn physician Blanchard Fosgate attested that while the cold-water bath seemed hardly to affect some inmates, others showed damage both lasting and profound.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
“Where we don’t have research, clinical trials, what we’ve got a ton of, is, shall we say, testimonials, patient affidavits, attesting to the wonders of the drug,” said Scott Brunner, the alliance’s chief executive officer.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026
"Then, the video attesting to the truth would be shown," she says.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
The resulting image is crystalline—and full of symbolic touches attesting to his status.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Environmentalists welcomed the shutdown as good news attesting to the country's plan to quit coal mining by 2030, when the last brown coal mine is due to close.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
Records attesting to his death were pullulating like insect eggs and verifying each other beyond all contendon.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
