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.
Main Entry: tes·ti·fy Pronunciation: 'tes-t&-"fI Function: verb Inflected Forms: -fied; -fy·ing Etymology: Latin
testificari, from testis witness 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 <testified that she heard screaming> —tes·ti·fi·ernoun
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.
Test\, n. [L. testis. Cf. Testament, Testify.] A witness. [Obs.] Prelates and great lords of England, who were for the more surety tests of that deed. --Ld. Berners.
Tes"ta*ment\, n. [F., fr. L. testamentum, fr. testari to be a witness, to make one's last will, akin to testis a witness. Cf. Intestate, Testify.]1. (Law) A solemn, authentic instrument in writing, by which a person declares his will as to disposal of his estate and effects after his death. Note: This is otherwise called a will, and sometimes a last will and testament. A testament, to be valid, must be made by a person of sound mind; and it must be executed and published in due form of law. A man, in certain cases, may make a valid will by word of mouth only. See Nuncupative will, under Nuncupative. 2. One of the two distinct revelations of God's purposes toward man; a covenant; also, one of the two general divisions of the canonical books of the sacred Scriptures, in which the covenants are respectively revealed; as, the Old Testament; the New Testament; -- often limited, in colloquial language, to the latter. He is the mediator of the new testament . . . for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament. --Heb. ix. 15. Holographic testament, a testament written wholly by the testator himself. --Bouvier.
Tes`ti*fi*ca"tion\, n. [L. testificatio: cf. OF. testification. See Testify.] The act of testifying, or giving testimony or evidence; as, a direct testification of our homage to God. --South.
Tes"ti*fy\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Testified; p. pr. & vb. n. Testifying.] [OF. testifier, L. testificari; testis a witness + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See -fy, and cf. Attest, Contest, Detest, Protest, Testament.]1. To make a solemn declaration, verbal or written, to establish some fact; to give testimony for the purpose of communicating to others a knowledge of something not known to them. Jesus . . . needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. --John ii. 25. 2. (Law) To make a solemn declaration under oath or affirmation, for the purpose of establishing, or making proof of, some fact to a court; to give testimony in a cause depending before a tribunal. One witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. --Num. xxxv. 30. 3. To declare a charge; to protest; to give information; to bear witness; -- with against. O Israel, . . . I will testify against thee. --Ps. l. 7. I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. --Neh. xiii. 15.
Tes"ti*fy\, v. t. 1. To bear witness to; to support the truth of by testimony; to affirm or declare solemny. We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. --John iii. 11. 2. (Law) To affirm or declare under oath or affirmation before a tribunal, in order to prove some fact.
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