testament

noun

tes·​ta·​ment ˈte-stə-mənt 

1

a

: a tangible proof or tribute

b

: an expression of conviction : creed

2

a

: an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death

b

: will

3

a

capitalized : either of two main divisions of the Bible

b

archaic : a covenant between God and the human race

testamentary

ˌte-stə-ˈmen-tə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē

adjective

Synonyms

• attestation
• confirmation
• corroboration
• documentation
• evidence
• proof
• substantiation
• testimonial
• testimony
• validation
• voucher
• witness

Examples of testament in a Sentence

The success of the album, which is only available online, is a testament to the power of the Internet.

a person's last will and testament

Recent Examples on the Web

Their journey is a testament to the power of community, resilience and the magic of music. —Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024

No Label Academy, now in its third year, is a testament to his commitment to uplifting his community. —Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024

Continue stretching your legs downtown, one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the South, at The Hunter Museum of American Art, a testament to American modernism showing works ranging from epic Hudson River School murals to Kehinde Wiley portraits. —Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2024

The energy at Woman Evolve was palpable, a testament to the resilience and ambition of the attendees. —Essence, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin testamentum covenant with God, holy scripture, from Latin, last will, from testari to be a witness, call to witness, make a will, from testis witness; akin to Latin tres three & to Latin stare to stand; from the witness's standing by as a third party in a litigation — more at three, stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Kids Definition

testament

noun

tes·​ta·​ment ˈtes-tə-mənt 

1

capitalized : either of the two chief parts of the Bible

2

a

: actual proof : evidence

the result is testament to her hard work

b

: an expression of belief : creed

3

: the legal instructions for the distribution of a person's belongings after death : will

testamentary

ˌtes-tə-ˈment-ə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē

adjective

Legal Definition

testament

noun

tes·​ta·​ment ˈtes-tə-mənt 

1

: an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death

a testament of property

2

: will

Note: A testament was formerly concerned specifically with personal property, as in the phrase last will and testament. Now a will covers both personal and real property and the terms will and testament are generally synonymous, but the phrase lives on.

testamentary

ˌtes-tə-ˈmen-tə-rē 

adjective

Etymology

Latin testamentum, from testari to call as a witness, make a will, from testis witness