testify

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English testifien, borrowed from Old French testifier, from Latin testificārī, present active infinitive of testificor (I bear witness), from testis (a witness) + facere (to make). See -fy.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈtɛstɪfaɪ/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Hyphenation: tes‧ti‧fy

Verb

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testify (third-person singular simple present testifies, present participle testifying, simple past and past participle testified) (transitive, intransitive)

  1. To make a declaration, or give evidence, under oath.
  2. To make a statement based on personal knowledge or faith.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, [] (King James Version), London: [] Robert Barker, [], →OCLC, John 3:11:
      We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
    • 1733, Tho[mas] Allen, “Jesus Christ’s Sixth Royal Embassy; or Word to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia”, in The Christian’s Sure Guide to Eternal Glory: Or, Living Oracles Most Comfortable, Holy and Instructive of the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven, in His Royal Embassy to the Seven Churches of Asia, [], London: [] Francis Jefferies [], →OCLC, page 253:
      [T]he pleaſures of ſenſe have no reliſh vvhere thou [Jesus] irradiateſt and teſtifieſt vvith our conſcience, that vve are the children of God, and have done thy vvill ſincerely, []

Conjugation

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Synonyms

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Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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