testify
verb
tes·ti·fy
ˈte-stə-ˌfī 
testified; testifying
1
: to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact (as in a court)
2
a
: 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
2
: to declare under oath before a tribunal or officially constituted public body
3
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
The week ahead Monday Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will testify before the House Oversight Committee in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump.
—
Andrew Torgan, CNN, 21 July 2024
O’Dowd points to past instances of Tesla misrepresenting technological advancements, such as a 2016 video intended to demonstrate FSD that, in a deposition for a lawsuit against the company, a top Tesla engineer testified had been staged, with the car actually crashing into a fence during filming.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2024
Another Sinaloa trafficker, Jesús Reynaldo Zambada García, has testified in two high-profile New York trials that his faction of the syndicate also donated millions of dollars to López Obrador’s political apparatus.
—Tim Golden, ProPublica, 19 July 2024
He was sentenced to four months in prison for Contempt of Congress for refusing to testify to the January 6 committee.
—Jj Hensley, USA TODAY, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for testify 
Andrew Torgan, CNN, 21 July 2024
O’Dowd points to past instances of Tesla misrepresenting technological advancements, such as a 2016 video intended to demonstrate FSD that, in a deposition for a lawsuit against the company, a top Tesla engineer testified had been staged, with the car actually crashing into a fence during filming.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2024
Another Sinaloa trafficker, Jesús Reynaldo Zambada García, has testified in two high-profile New York trials that his faction of the syndicate also donated millions of dollars to López Obrador’s political apparatus.
—Tim Golden, ProPublica, 19 July 2024
He was sentenced to four months in prison for Contempt of Congress for refusing to testify to the January 6 committee.
—Jj Hensley, USA TODAY, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for testify
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'testify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Testify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testify. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
testify
verb
tes·ti·fy
ˈtes-tə-ˌfī
testified; testifying
1
a
: to make a statement based on personal knowledge or belief
could testify to the student's devotion to her studies
b
: to make a formal statement of what one swears is true
testified in court
2
: to give outward proof : serve as a sign of
yawns testifying to fatigue
Legal Definition
testify
verb
tes·ti·fy
ˈtes-tə-ˌfī
testified; testifying
: to make a solemn declaration under oath or affirmation for the purpose of establishing a fact : give testimony
: to declare in testimony
testifier
noun
Etymology
Latin testificari, from testis witness
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