testament

noun

tes·​ta·​ment ˈte-stə-mənt 

1

a

: a tangible proof or tribute

b

: an expression of conviction : creed

2

a

: an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death

b

: will

3

a

capitalized : either of two main divisions of the Bible

b

archaic : a covenant between God and the human race

testamentary

ˌte-stə-ˈmen-tə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē

adjective

Synonyms

• evidence
• proof
• testimony
• documentation
• testimonial

Examples of testament in a Sentence

The success of the album, which is only available online, is a testament to the power of the Internet.

a person's last will and testament

Recent Examples on the Web

The emotional moment, which was shared in a viral TikTok video that received over 3.6 million likes, was a testament to the powerful support system surrounding him. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025

For Habbo to not only exist but to still be a vibrant home for a global community is a testament to something deeper than just a game. —David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

The undertaking is a testament either to human perseverance, or to the eternal bureaucratic faith in peace through fog. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2025

Her client list is a testament to her method that has sculpted the bodies of many Hollywood movie stars, like Blunt, who Monique prepared for the grueling action movie Edge of Tomorrow, where the actress starred with Tom Cruise. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin testamentum covenant with God, holy scripture, from Latin, last will, from testari to be a witness, call to witness, make a will, from testis witness; akin to Latin tres three & to Latin stare to stand; from the witness's standing by as a third party in a litigation — more at three, stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Kids Definition

testament

noun

tes·​ta·​ment ˈtes-tə-mənt 

1

capitalized : either of the two chief parts of the Bible

2

a

: actual proof : evidence

the result is testament to her hard work

b

: an expression of belief : creed

3

: the legal instructions for the distribution of a person's belongings after death : will

testamentary

ˌtes-tə-ˈment-ə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē

adjective

Legal Definition

testament

noun

tes·​ta·​ment ˈtes-tə-mənt 

1

: an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death

a testament of property

2

: will

Note: A testament was formerly concerned specifically with personal property, as in the phrase last will and testament. Now a will covers both personal and real property and the terms will and testament are generally synonymous, but the phrase lives on.

testamentary

ˌtes-tə-ˈmen-tə-rē 

adjective

Etymology

Latin testamentum, from testari to call as a witness, make a will, from testis witness