ENGLISH
REFERENCE

testified

v.
C1 Advanced US //ˈtɛstəˌfaɪd// UK //tˈɛstɪfˌaɪd// tes·ti·fied

v. to give a formal statement in a court of law about what you saw or know. It can also mean to show clearly that something is true.

v. to give evidence as a witness in a legal proceeding or other formal inquiry. In a broader sense, it serves as evidence or proof of a particular fact or quality.


SIMPLE

The witness testified that she saw the car hit the fence.

CONTEXTUAL

Several former employees testified before the committee regarding the company's safety violations during the previous year.

COMPLEX

The ruins of the ancient temple testified to the architectural sophistication of a civilization that had flourished long before the arrival of modern explorers.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is intransitive when used in a legal context, often followed by 'against' or 'on behalf of'. In its broader sense of providing proof, it often takes the preposition 'to'.

Pitfall

he testified the truthhe testified to the truthWhen used to mean 'provide evidence for', the verb requires the preposition 'to' before the noun phrase.

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