17 results for: testify

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
tes·ti·fy    Audio Help   [tes-tuh-fahy] Pronunciation Key verb, -fied, -fy·ing.
–verb (used without object)
1.to bear witness; give or afford evidence.
2.Law. to give testimony under oath or solemn affirmation, usually in court.
3.to make solemn declaration.
–verb (used with object)
4.to bear witness to; affirm as fact or truth; attest.
5.to give or afford evidence of in any manner.
6.Law. to state or declare under oath or affirmation, usually in court.
7.to declare, profess, or acknowledge openly.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME testifyen < L testificārī to bear witness, equiv. to testi(s) witness + -ficārī -fy]

tes·ti·fi·er, noun

5. indicate, show, signify, prove.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
testify

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
tes·ti·fy    Audio Help   (těs'tə-fī')  Pronunciation Key 
v.   test·i·fied, test·i·fy·ing, test·i·fies

v.   intr.
  1. To make a declaration of truth or fact under oath; submit testimony: witnesses testifying before a grand jury.
  2. To express or declare a strong belief, especially to make a declaration of faith.
  3. 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.
  4. To serve as evidence: wreckage that testifies to the ferocity of the storm.

v.   tr.
  1. To declare publicly; make known: testifying their faith.
  2. To state or affirm under oath: testified in court that he saw the defendant.
  3. 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.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
testify 
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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
testify

verb
1. give testimony in a court of law 
2. provide evidence for; "The blood test showed that he was the father"; "Her behavior testified to her incompetence" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
testify1 [ˈtestifai] verb
to give evidence, especially in a law court
Example: He agreed to testify on behalf of / against the accused man.
Arabic: يَشْهَد في المَحْكَمَه
Chinese (Simplified): 作证
Chinese (Traditional): 作證
Czech: svědčit
Danish: afgive vidneudsagn
Dutch: getuigen
Estonian: tunnistama
Finnish: todistaa
French: témoigner
German: aussagen
Greek: καταθέτω (σε δίκη)
Hungarian: tanúskodik
Icelandic: bera vitni
Indonesian: memberi kesaksian
Italian: testimoniare
Japanese: 証言する
Korean: 증언하다
Latvian: liecināt; dot liecību
Lithuanian: (pa)liudyti, duoti parodymus
Norwegian: vitne
Polish: zeznawać
Portuguese (Brazil): testemunhar
Portuguese (Portugal): testemunhar
Romanian: a depune mărturie (pentru)
Russian: давать показания
Slovak: svedčiť, vypovedať
Slovenian: pričati
Spanish: declarar, atestiguar
Swedish: vittna
Turkish: tanıklık, *şahitlik etmek
testify2 [ˈtestifai] verb
to show or give evidence of; to state that (something) is so
Example: I will testify to her kindness.
Arabic: يَشْهَد على
Chinese (Simplified): 证明
Chinese (Traditional): 證明
Czech: prokázat, dosvědčit
Danish: bevidne
Dutch: getuigen van
Estonian: kinnitama
Finnish: vahvistaa
French: attester
German: bezeugen
Greek: βεβαιώνω, μαρτυρώ, αποδεικνύω
Hungarian: bizonyít, tanúsít
Icelandic: staðfesta, votta
Indonesian: membuktikan
Italian: esprimere, attestare
Japanese: 証明する
Korean: 증명하다
Latvian: apliecināt
Lithuanian: patvirtinti, paliudyti
Norwegian: bevitne, bekrefte
Polish: zaświadczać, dawać świadectwo
Portuguese (Brazil): atestar
Portuguese (Portugal): testemunhar
Romanian: a atesta
Russian: свидетельствовать
Slovak: potvrdiť, dosvedčiť
Slovenian: izpričati
Spanish: dar fe
Swedish: intyga
Turkish: doğrulamak
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This

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·er noun

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Testify

Tes"ti*fy\, adv. In a testy manner; fretfully; peevishly; with petulance.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

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