testify
verb /ˈtestɪfaɪ/
/ˈtestɪfaɪ/
Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they testify | /ˈtestɪfaɪ/ /ˈtestɪfaɪ/ |
| he / she / it testifies | /ˈtestɪfaɪz/ /ˈtestɪfaɪz/ |
| past simple testified | /ˈtestɪfaɪd/ /ˈtestɪfaɪd/ |
| past participle testified | /ˈtestɪfaɪd/ /ˈtestɪfaɪd/ |
| -ing form testifying | /ˈtestɪfaɪɪŋ/ /ˈtestɪfaɪɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to make a statement that something happened or that something is true, especially as a witness in court
- testify against somebody/something She refused to testify against her husband.
- testify for somebody/something There are several witnesses who will testify for the defence.
- testify about something He was summoned to testify before a grand jury about his role in the affair.
- testify to something/to doing something Evans testified to receiving $200 000 in bribes.
- testify (that)… He testified (that) he was at the theatre at the time of the murder.
- + speech ‘I was approached by a man I did not recognize,’ she testified.
Extra ExamplesTopics Law and justicec1- a Mafia member who was prepared to testify for the authorities
- Several witnesses have come forward to testify against her.
- She was unwilling to testify before Congress.
- The president's former aides were called to testify at his trial.
- The basis for the perjury conviction was he had testified falsely under oath.
- A senior officer testified to the existence of police hit squads.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- falsely
- truthfully
- publicly
- …
- ask somebody to
- call somebody to
- call upon somebody to
- …
- against
- before
- for
- …
- testify in court
- testify under oath
- [transitive] testify (that)… (formal) to say that you believe something is true because you have evidence of it
- Too many young people are unable to write or spell well, as employers will testify.
- [intransitive] (especially North American English) to express your belief in God publicly
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin testificari, from testis ‘a witness’.