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
In the 77-page decision Thursday, the majority of judges decided that the judge who oversaw Weinstein’s trial, Justice James M. Burke, should not have allowed prosecutors to let accusers whose allegations were not part of the charges against him to testify in the trial.
—
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2024
The size of the fine was based on the prominence of the victim and her willingness to testify, as well as the seriousness of the crime.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2024
In the 160-page appeal, Weinstein’s legal team once again attacked the credibility of the six women who testified at his 2020 trial in lower Manhattan.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Howard negotiated terms for the rights to McDougal's story, and brought Pecker the offer: $150,000 for the lifetime rights and other provisions, Pecker testified.
—Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
At an oral argument in February, Aidala claimed that Justice James Burke had been prejudiced against Weinstein by allowing three women to testify about his character and pattern of behavior.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
In a 4-3 decision, the New York appeals court Thursday found that the judge in the landmark #MeToo trial made several improper rulings that swayed the case against Weinstein, including a decision to let three women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024
Pecker also testified about an effort to compel Tiger Woods to do an interview with AMI's fitness magazines by purchasing a negative story about him as leverage.
—Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
But Cohen has testified there was no retainer and Trump directed the payments to women.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2024
The size of the fine was based on the prominence of the victim and her willingness to testify, as well as the seriousness of the crime.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2024
In the 160-page appeal, Weinstein’s legal team once again attacked the credibility of the six women who testified at his 2020 trial in lower Manhattan.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Howard negotiated terms for the rights to McDougal's story, and brought Pecker the offer: $150,000 for the lifetime rights and other provisions, Pecker testified.
—Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
At an oral argument in February, Aidala claimed that Justice James Burke had been prejudiced against Weinstein by allowing three women to testify about his character and pattern of behavior.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
In a 4-3 decision, the New York appeals court Thursday found that the judge in the landmark #MeToo trial made several improper rulings that swayed the case against Weinstein, including a decision to let three women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024
Pecker also testified about an effort to compel Tiger Woods to do an interview with AMI's fitness magazines by purchasing a negative story about him as leverage.
—Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
But Cohen has testified there was no retainer and Trump directed the payments to women.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
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 1 May. 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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