To make a declaration of truth or fact under oath; submit testimony: witnesses testifying before a grand jury.
To express or declare a strong belief, especially to make a declaration of faith.
To make a statement based on personal knowledge in support of an asserted fact; bear witness: the exhilaration of weightlessness, to which many astronauts have testified.
To serve as evidence: wreckage that testifies to the ferocity of the storm.
v.
tr.
To declare publicly; make known: testifying their faith.
To state or affirm under oath: testified in court that he saw the defendant.
To bear witness to; provide evidence for. See Synonyms at indicate.
[Middle English testifien, from Latin testificārī : testis, witness; see trei- in Indo-European roots + -ficārī, -fy.]
tes'ti·fi·ca'tion (-fĭ-kā'shən) n., tes'ti·fi'er n.
1377, "to serve as evidence of," from L. testificari "bear witness," from testis "witness" (see testament) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Biblical sense of "openly profess one's faith and devotion" is attested from 1526.
Con*test"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Contested; p. pr. & vb. n. Contesting.] [F. contester, fr. L. contestari to call to witness, contestari litem to introduce a lawsuit by calling witnesses, to bring an action; con- + testari to be a witness, testic witness. See Testify.]1. To make a subject of dispute, contention, litigation, or emulation; to contend for; to call in question; to controvert; to oppose; to dispute. The people . . . contested not what was done. --Locke. Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequenty repeated, few more contested than this. --J. D. Morell. 2. To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend; as, the troops contested every inch of ground. 3. (Law) To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist; as a claim, by course of law; to controvert. To contest an election. (Polit.) (a) To strive to be elected. (b) To dispute the declared result of an election. Syn: To dispute; controvert; debate; litigate; oppose; argue; contend.
De*test"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Detested; p. pr. & vb. n. Detesting.] [L. detestare, detestatum, and detestari, to curse while calling a deity to witness, to execrate, detest; de + testari to be a witness, testify, testis a witness: cf. F. d['e]tester. See Testify.]1. To witness against; to denounce; to condemn. [Obs.] The heresy of Nestorius . . . was detested in the Eastern churches. --Fuller. God hath detested them with his own mouth. --Bale. 2. To hate intensely; to abhor; to abominate; to loathe; as, we detest what is contemptible or evil. Who dares think one thing, and another tell, My heart detests him as the gates of hell. --Pope. Syn: To abhor; abominate; execrate. See Hate.
Pro*test"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Protested; p. pr. & vb. n. Protesting.] [F. protester, L. protestari, pro before + testari to be a witness, testis a witness. See Testify.]1. To affirm in a public or formal manner; to bear witness; to declare solemnly; to avow. He protest that his measures are pacific. --Landor. The lady doth protest too much, methinks. --Shak. 2. To make a solemn declaration (often a written one) expressive of opposition; -- with against; as, he protest against your votes. --Denham. The conscience has power . . . to protest againts the exorbitancies of the passions. --Shak. Syn: To affirm; asseverate; assert; aver; attest; testify; declare; profess. See Affirm.
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Audio Help [tes-tuh-fahy] Pronunciation Key verb, -fied, -fy·ing. 
