attest

See also: Attest

English

Etymology

PIE word
*tréyes

Borrowed from Middle French attester, from Latin attestor (“to witness to, bear witness”), from at-, combining form of ad (“to”) + testor (“to bear witness”), from testis (“a witness”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈtɛst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛst

Verb

attest (third-person singular simple present attests, present participle attesting, simple past and past participle attested)

1. (transitive) To affirm to be correct, true, or genuine.

   When will the appraiser attest the date of the painting?

   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     Dishonour not your Mothers: now attest that those whom you call'd Fathers, did beget you.

   • a. 1720 (date written), Joseph Addison, “Section III. The Providence of God.”, in The Evidences of the Christian Religion, […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], published 1730, →OCLC, subsection VII, page 25:

     [W]e have already ſeen many particular facts vvhich are recorded in holy vvrit, atteſted by particular Pagan Authors: […]

   • 2019 May 19, Alex McLevy, “The final Game Of Thrones brings a pensive but simple meditation about stories (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1]:

     As the Wildlings can attest, there’s already new life even north of the wall, poking up through the ice. Winter only lasts so long.

2. (transitive) To certify by signature or oath.

   You must attest your will in order for it to be valid.

3. (transitive) To certify in an official capacity.
4. (transitive, intransitive) To supply or be evidence of.

   Her fine work attested her ability.

   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act PROLOGUE, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

     O pardon : since a crooked Figure may / Attest in little place a Million, / And let us, Cyphers to this great Accompt, / On your imaginarie Forces worke.

   • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page viii:

     The supplementary bibliography (in Vol. VI) attests to the comprehensiveness of the effort.

5. (transitive) To put under oath.
6. (transitive, obsolete) To call to witness; to invoke.
   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     The sacred streams which Heaven's imperial state / Attests in oaths, and fears to violate.

Derived terms

• attestation
• attested
• attestment

Translations

to affirm to be correct, true, or genuine

• Albanian: dëshmoj (sq), vërteroj
• Bulgarian: потвърждавам (bg) (potvǎrždavam), заверявам (bg) (zaverjavam), удостоверявам (bg) (udostoverjavam)
• Chinese: 证实 (zh) (zhèngshí)
• Czech: potvrdit (cs)
• Dutch: attesteren (nl)
• Esperanto: atesti (eo)
• Finnish: todentaa (fi), vahvistaa (fi), todistaa (fi)
• German: attestieren (de), beglaubigen (de)
• Hungarian: tanúsít (hu), igazol (hu), bizonyít (hu)
• Italian: attestare (it)
• Latin: attestor
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: attestere (no)

• Portuguese: atestar (pt)
• Romanian: atesta (ro), confirma (ro), adeveri (ro)
• Russian: подтвержда́ть (ru) (podtverždátʹ)
• Spanish: avalar (es), atestiguar (es)
• Swedish: attestera (sv)

to certify by signature or oath

• Finnish: vahvistaa (fi), todistaa (fi)
• Hungarian: tanúsít (hu)
• Spanish: compulsar (es) (legal; referring to documents)

to certify in an official capacity

• Finnish: vahvistaa (fi)
• Hungarian: hitelesít (hu)
• Polish: atestować (pl) impf or pf

to supply or be evidence of

• Finnish: osoittaa (fi), todistaa (fi)
• Hungarian: tanúsít (hu), tanúskodik (hu)

to put under oath

to call to witness

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} attester (fr)
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} atestar (io)

See also

• cite
• quote

Further reading

• “attest”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “attest”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “attest”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• T-state

Dutch

Etymology

Shortening of attestatie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑˈtɛst/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: at‧test
• Rhymes: -ɛst

Noun

attest n (plural attesten, diminutive attestje n)

1. certificate, document supporting an assertion

Descendants

• → Indonesian: atés

Anagrams

• tastte

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin attestatum.

Noun

attest m (definite singular attesten, indefinite plural attester, definite plural attestene)

1. a certificate
2. a testimonial

Derived terms

• dødsattest
• fødselsattest
• vielsesattest
• vigselsattest

References

• “attest” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin attestatum.

Noun

attest m (definite singular attesten, indefinite plural attestar, definite plural attestane)

1. a certificate
2. a testimonial

Derived terms

• dødsattest
• fødselsattest

References

• “attest” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Noun

attest c

1. certification, authorization; certificate

Declension

Declension of attest
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	attest	attesten	attester	attesterna
Genitive	attests	attestens	attesters	attesternas

Related terms

• attestera

Further reading

• attest in Svensk ordbok.

Anagrams

• testat