testimony - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

PIE word
*tréyes

Inherited from Middle English testimonie, from Old French testimonie, from Latin testimōnium (“testimony”).

testimony (countable and uncountable, plural testimonies)

  1. (law) Statements made by a witness in court.
    Synonym: deposition
    • 2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
      The Missouri prosecutors' case against Clemons, based partly on incriminating testimony given by his co-defendants, was that Clemons was part of a group of four youths who accosted the sisters on the Chain of Rocks Bridge one dark night in April 1991.
  2. An account of first-hand experience.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
      [Thou] for the testimony of truth, hast borne / Universal reproach.
  3. (religion) In a church service (or religious service), a personal account, such as one's conversion, testimony of faith, or life testimony.
  4. Witness; evidence; proof of some fact.

statement in court

account of first-hand experience

witness; evidence; proof of some fact