Meaning of "testify" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD TESTIFY

From Latin testificārī, from testis witness.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF TESTIFY

testify  [ˈtɛstɪˌfaɪ]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF TESTIFY

Testify is a verb.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb testify in English.

WHAT DOES TESTIFY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of testify in the English dictionary

The first definition of testify in the dictionary is to state formally as a declaration of fact. Other definition of testify is to declare or give under oath, esp in court. Testify is also when intr, often foll by to to be evidence ; serve as witness.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO TESTIFY

PRESENT

Present

I testify

you testify

he/she/it testifies

we testify

you testify

they testify

Present continuous

I am testifying

you are testifying

he/she/it is testifying

we are testifying

you are testifying

they are testifying

Present perfect

I have testified

you have testified

he/she/it has testified

we have testified

you have testified

they have testified

Present perfect continuous

I have been testifying

you have been testifying

he/she/it has been testifying

we have been testifying

you have been testifying

they have been testifying

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I testified

you testified

he/she/it testified

we testified

you testified

they testified

Past continuous

I was testifying

you were testifying

he/she/it was testifying

we were testifying

you were testifying

they were testifying

Past perfect

I had testified

you had testified

he/she/it had testified

we had testified

you had testified

they had testified

Past perfect continuous

I had been testifying

you had been testifying

he/she/it had been testifying

we had been testifying

you had been testifying

they had been testifying

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will testify

you will testify

he/she/it will testify

we will testify

you will testify

they will testify

Future continuous

I will be testifying

you will be testifying

he/she/it will be testifying

we will be testifying

you will be testifying

they will be testifying

Future perfect

I will have testified

you will have testified

he/she/it will have testified

we will have testified

you will have testified

they will have testified

Future perfect continuous

I will have been testifying

you will have been testifying

he/she/it will have been testifying

we will have been testifying

you will have been testifying

they will have been testifying

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would testify

you would testify

he/she/it would testify

we would testify

you would testify

they would testify

Conditional continuous

I would be testifying

you would be testifying

he/she/it would be testifying

we would be testifying

you would be testifying

they would be testifying

Conditional perfect

I would have testify

you would have testify

he/she/it would have testify

we would have testify

you would have testify

they would have testify

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been testifying

you would have been testifying

he/she/it would have been testifying

we would have been testifying

you would have been testifying

they would have been testifying

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you testify
we let´s testify
you testify

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to testify

Past participle

testified

Present Participle

testifying

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «TESTIFY»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «testify» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of testify

affirm · assert · asseverate · attest · bear witness · certify · corroborate · declare · depone · depose · evince · state · swear · vouch · witness

TRANSLATION OF TESTIFY

Find out the translation of testify to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of testify from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «testify» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 作证
• Translator English - Spanish: prestar declaración
• English: testify
• Translator English - Hindi: गवाही
• Translator English - Arabic: الشهادة
• Translator English - Russian: свидетельствуют
• Translator English - Portuguese: depor
• Translator English - Bengali: সাক্ষ্য
• Translator English - French: témoigner
• Translator English - Malay: Bersaksi
• Translator English - German: aussagen
• Translator English - Japanese: 証言する
• Translator English - Korean: 증언하다
• Translator English - Javanese: Nyekseni
• Translator English - Vietnamese: làm chứng
• Translator English - Tamil: சாட்சி
• Translator English - Marathi: साक्ष द्या
• Translator English - Turkish: ifade vermek
• Translator English - Italian: testimoniare
• Translator English - Polish: Świadczę
• Translator English - Ukrainian: свідчать
• Translator English - Romanian: depune mărturie
• Translator English - Greek: μαρτυρούν
• Translator English - Afrikaans: getuig
• Translator English - Swedish: vittna
• Translator English - Norwegian: vitner

10 QUOTES WITH «TESTIFY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word testify.

1

Ben Bradlee

We were right about the slush fund. But Sloan did not testify about it to the Grand Jury.

2

Whittaker Chambers

A witness, in the sense that I am using the word, is a man whose life and faith are so completely one that when the challenge comes to step out and testify for his faith, he does so, disregarding all risks, accepting all consequences.

3

Ramsey Clark

I didn't volunteer; they asked me. I felt a duty to testify.

4

Macaulay Culkin

I do have a family, and I do have friends, and so-called friends, and acquaintances, and many other people I see only around Christmas time. Maybe they could vouch for me. Maybe they could testify to my existence and save a part of me that thinks I'm no better than a bag of potato chips.

5

Joseph J. Ellis

It is as if Clinton had called one of the most respected character witnesses in all of U.S. history to testify that the primal urge has a most distinguished presidential pedigree.

6

Mark Fuhrman

When I testify, I'll testify. I don't need to sit around chewing my fingernails.

7

Jeff Gannon

I answered their questions truthfully and honestly, but I would prefer not to say more. I assume the information was routed back and that is why I was not called to testify.

8

Elizabeth Gilbert

As somebody who, in my second marriage, insisted on a prenuptial agreement, I can also testify that sometimes it is an act of love to chart the exit strategy before you enter the union, in order to make sure that not only you, but your partner as well, knows that there will be no World War III should hearts and minds, for any sad reason, change.

9

Trey Gowdy

You don't get John Gotti to testify against his driver. You get the driver to testify against John Gotti.

10

James Hansen

As a government employee, you can't testify against the government.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «TESTIFY»

Discover the use of testify in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to testify and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Testify

Short-listed for the Forest of Reading Red Maple Award, 2012 Before you judge me, there are two things you should know about why I did it.

Valerie Sherrard, 2011

I Believe I'll Testify: The Art of African American Preaching

Cleo LaRue is one of the best-loved preachers and writers about preaching.

Cleophus J LaRue, 2011

Just Wanna Testify: A Novel

Familiar faces and places meet fresh twists and turns in this enthralling novel from acclaimed author Pearl Cleage.

Pearl Cleage, 2011

Testify: Poems

A brilliant embodiment of America’s conflicted soul, with the intensity of Creeley and the political fire of Ginsberg.

Joseph Lease, 2011

We Testify

How often do believers share their personal encounters with the living God?

Shaynah Neshama, 2005

I just want to testify

Testify is about the struggle for self-definition, separate and apart from the relationships that engage us in our lives.

Laurie Hunter-Gilbert, 2001

Testify: Origen, Martyria and the Christian Life

Origen uses the common Greek root martyr- almost 900 times in his extant writings.

Jordan Smith, 2008

The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk: Why I Refused to Testify ...

The author, who was imprisoned because she refused to testify in Kenneth Starr's Whitewater investigation, speaks out, offering a portrayal of the Clinton administration, Starr's investigation, and her years spent in prison.

Susan McDougal, 2003

A Need to Testify

' Available again in this new edition, Origo's memoir tells the story of four friends, writer Lauro de Bosis, American monologuist Ruth Draper, the historian Gaetano Salvemi, and author of 'Fontamara' and 'Bread and Wine', Ignazio Silone, ...

Iris Origo, 1984

Testify!: The Consequences of Architecture

"This book challenges the cross-examination of our built environment as the sole provenance of the architect and attempts to interweave architectual discourse into the very fabric of society."--P. [4] of cover.

Lukas Feireiss, 2011

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «TESTIFY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term testify is used in the context of the following news items.

Inquiry Into Litvinenko Poisoning Is Delayed After Russian Fails to …

... hit new delays on Monday over the failure of a key Russian suspect to testify by video link from Moscow. The suspect, Dmitri V. Kovtun, had been scheduled to ... «New York Times, Jul 15»

Massachusetts: Bulger Wanted to Testify at His Trial, His Lawyer …

Mr. Bulger's lawyer, Hank Brennan, said his client's rights were violated when he was not allowed him to testify that a United States attorney for Massachusetts, ... «New York Times, Jul 15»

Man wants Taylor Swift to testify in his trespassing case

WAKEFIELD, R.I. (AP) — A man charged with trespassing at Taylor Swift's Rhode Island mansion wants the singer to testify on his behalf. The Westerly Sun ... «WPRI 12 Eyewitness News, Jun 15»

Hillary Clinton agrees to testify before Benghazi panel in May

Washington (CNN) Hillary Clinton has agreed to testify before the House Select Committee on Benghazi later this month, according to a letter from her attorney ... «CNN, May 15»

Benghazi committee steps up pressure on Hillary Clinton to testify

Hillary Clinton has already testifed to Senate and House committees regarding the 2012 terrorist attack. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images. «The Guardian, Apr 15»

Report: Fiancee of Aaron Hernandez to be called to testify Friday

The fiancee of former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez will be called to testify in the former player's murder trial Friday, the Associated Press reports. «CBSSports.com, Mar 15»

House oversight leaders 'disappointed' Secret Service chief plans to …

The heads of a powerful congressional panel are “very disappointed” that the Secret Service chief plans to testify alone about agency accountability on Tuesday ... «Washington Post, Mar 15»

Ex-Spymaster Is Called to Testify in Investigation of Argentine …

Mr. Stiusso's lawyer said he was looking into whether his client could testify about matters that might be covered by secrecy laws. “Stiusso was an excellent civil ... «New York Times, Feb 15»

Legal Fight Ends for James Risen of the New York Times

WASHINGTON — James Risen, a New York Times reporter, will not be called to testify at a leak trial scheduled to begin this week, lawyers said Monday, ending ... «New York Times, Jan 15»

Oh boo hoo, Jodi Arias doesn't want to testify in public

"Her lawyer stated Arias would not testify because the media coverage of her testimony would affect her ability to think and answer questions in a manner 'she ... «azcentral.com, Dec 14»