testify

verb

Save Word

tes·ti·fy | \ ˈte-stə-ˌfī

testified; testifying

Definition of testify

intransitive verb

1 : to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact (as in a court)

2a : to make a statement based on personal knowledge or belief : bear witness

b : to serve as evidence or proof

3 : to express a personal conviction

transitive verb

1a : to bear witness to : attest

b : to serve as evidence of : prove

2 : to declare under oath before a tribunal or officially constituted public body

3 archaic

a : to make known (a personal conviction)

b : to give evidence of : show

Other Words from testify Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about testify

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of testify in a Sentence

She refused to testify about who had given her the information. She testified before Congress today. He agreed to testify against his drug dealer. He testified that he'd seen two people leave the building on the night of the murder. These statistics testify that the program is working. Several people testified during the revival meeting.

Recent Examples on the Web Bolton, who has been scheduled to testify before the committees on Thursday, will not appear voluntarily his lawyer, who also represents Kupperman, has said. — NBC News, "House Democrats pull Kupperman subpoena," 7 Nov. 2019 Taylor is scheduled to testify in public next week as Democrats hold the first public hearings on impeachment. — BostonGlobe.com, "You're using a browser set to private or incognito mode.," 7 Nov. 2019 The experts testified that our biodefense system has been vulnerable and outdated for well over a decade. — Ana Santos Rutschman, The Conversation, "Salad bars and water systems are easy targets for bioterrorists – and America’s monitoring system is woefully inadequate," 7 Nov. 2019 Taylor is scheduled to testify in public next week as Democrats hold the first public hearings on impeachment. — chicagotribune.com, "Read Ambassador Bill Taylor’s impeachment inquiry transcript," 6 Nov. 2019 And two more administration witnesses who had been scheduled to testify on Tuesday — Michael Duffey, a top official in the White House budget office, and Wells Griffith, a senior aide to Energy Secretary Rick Perry — failed to appear. — Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, "Sondland Updates Impeachment Testimony, Describing Ukraine Quid Pro Quo," 5 Nov. 2019 Christopher Anderson, the second of two State Department officials scheduled to testify on Wednesday, arrived at the Capitol for his deposition. — Author: Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner, Anchorage Daily News, "House committees seek testimony from John Bolton as Dems push impeachment resolution forward," 30 Oct. 2019 Tim Morrison, the senior director of European and Russian affairs at the National Security Council, is scheduled to testify before the House committees leading the impeachment inquiry on Thursday. — Grace Segers, CBS News, "Key witness in Ukraine investigation leaving White House post," 30 Oct. 2019 Kupperman, who provided foreign policy advice to the president, was scheduled to testify in a similar session on Monday. — Matthew Lee, Twin Cities, "Ex-Trump aide wants judge to decide on impeachment testimony," 27 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'testify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.