attest

[ uh-test ]
See synonyms for: attestattestedattestableattestant on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to bear witness to; certify; declare to be correct, true, or genuine; declare the truth of, in words or writing, especially to affirm in an official capacity: to attest the truth of a statement.

  2. to give proof or evidence of; manifest: His works attest his industry.

  1. Linguistics. to give evidence of the existence of (a word, phrase, usage, etc.), especially in writing: The plural form is attested in ancient texts.The dictionary attests this meaning as early as 1890.

  2. to put on oath.

verb (used without object)
  1. to testify or bear witness (often followed by to): to attest to the reliability of an employee.

noun
  1. Archaic. witness; testimony; attestation.

Origin of attest

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; <Middle French attester, from Latin attestārī “to bear witness to, affirm, confirm” equivalent to at- at- + testārī “to witness” (see testis)

Other words from attest

  • at·test·a·ble, adjective
  • at·test·ant, noun
  • at·test·er, at·tes·tor, at·tes·ta·tor [uh-tes-tey-ter, at-e-stey-], /əˈtɛs teɪ tər, ˈæt ɛˌsteɪ-/, noun
  • at·tes·tive, adjective
  • re·at·test, verb (used with object)
  • un·at·test·ed, adjective
  • well-at·test·ed, adjective

Words Nearby attest

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use attest in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for attest

attest

/ (əˈtɛst) /


verb
  1. (tr) to affirm the correctness or truth of

  2. (when intr, usually foll by to) to witness (an act, event, etc) or bear witness to (an act, event, etc) as by signature or oath

  1. (tr) to make evident; demonstrate: his life of luxury attests his wealth

  2. (tr) to provide evidence for: the marks in the ground attested the presence of a fossil

Origin of attest

1
C16: from Latin attestārī to prove, from testārī to bear witness, from testis a witness

Derived forms of attest

  • attestable, adjective
  • attestant, attester, esp law attestor or attestator, noun
  • attestation (ˌætɛˈsteɪʃən), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012