testimonial
noun
Did you know?
In 1639, Scottish poet William Drummond responded to the politics of his day with a cheeky set of new laws, including one stipulating that "no man wear a ... periwig, unless he have a testimonial from a town-clerk, that he is either bald, sickly, or asham'd of white hairs." Testimonials take different forms, but always, like in Drummond's facetious law, they provide affirmation or evidence. (Testimonial traces to Latin testimonium, meaning "evidence" or "witness.") In the 19th century, testimonial developed a new use, referring to a tribute—that is, a gift presented as a public expression of appreciation. Today, testimonial is most often used to refer to a statement—such as one posted on any number of websites devoted to consumer reviews—that endorses a product or service.
Examples of testimonial in a Sentence
Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026
Feaster says he was impressed by several contemporaneous accounts of Georg Theodor Jacob Müller’s machine, including a testimonial by physicist Johann Tobias Mayer.
—Ron Cowen, Scientific American, 3 June 2026
By April, these videos had taken over social media feeds, along with testimonials from some decidedly non-MAGA figures who made the case Pratt might be worth the risk.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Refusing the unisonic testimonial altogether and relying more on cacophonic simultaneity, Harryman explores with a polyphonic troupe how outside social forces inform the inner psyche.
—Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for testimonial
Cite this Entry
“Testimonial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testimonial. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
testimonial
1 of 2 adjective
testimonial
2 of 2 noun
