testify

verb

tes·​ti·​fy ˈte-stə-ˌfī How to pronounce testify (audio)
testified; testifying

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1
a
: 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
testifier noun

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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Karas testified that Narcan controlled 75 percent of the public interest market for naloxone by late 2019, along with 97 percent of the consumer market. Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2023 In September, Mateer was the first of the whistle-blowers called to testify against Paxton. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2023 Two of them have testified to that effect, with Weiss’s testimony upcoming. Aaron Blake, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Sep. 2023 López Núñez was arrested in 2017 and later testified against El Chapo at his trial in Brooklyn. Alan Feuer, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023 Throughout the trial, witnesses who had worked under the attorney general testified that Paxton had talked at times about his distrust of law enforcement and federal agents in the FBI in particular. Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2023 After Paxton’s defense staved off Olson from testifying, Buzbee made a motion for a directed verdict. Philip Jankowski, Dallas News, 16 Sep. 2023 The trial, which took nearly seven weeks with dozens of witnesses testifying, ended with the 50-year-old mother being convicted on two counts of murder, three counts of conspiracy to commit murder and one count of grand theft. Michael Lee Simpson, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023 Read full article Both sides rested after committee staffers testified about sending the subpoena and Navarro’s response. Lindsay Whitehurst, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English testifien, from Anglo-French testifier, from Latin testificari, from testis witness

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of testify was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Testify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testify. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

testify

verb
tes·​ti·​fy ˈtes-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce testify (audio)
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
testifier noun

Legal Definition

testify

verb
tes·​ti·​fy ˈtes-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce testify (audio)
testified; testifying

intransitive verb

: to make a solemn declaration under oath or affirmation for the purpose of establishing a fact : give testimony

transitive verb

: to declare in testimony
testifier noun
Etymology

Latin testificari, from testis witness

More from Merriam-Webster on testify

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