testament

See also: Testament

English

Etymology

From Middle English testament, from Old French testament, from Latin testāmentum (“the publication of a will, a will, testament, in Late Latin one of the divisions of the Bible”), from testor (“I am a witness, testify, attest, make a will”), from testis (“one who attests, a witness”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛs.tə.mənt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈtes.tə.mənt/

Noun

testament (plural testaments)

1. (law) A solemn, authentic instrument in writing, by which a person declares his or her will as to disposal of his or her inheritance (estate and effects) after his or her death, benefiting specified heir(s).

   Synonyms: will, last will and testament, last will

2. One of the two parts to the scriptures of the Christian religion: the New Testament, considered by Christians to be a continuation of the Hebrew scriptures, and the Hebrew scriptures themselves, which they refer to as the Old Testament.
3. A tangible proof or tribute.

   The ancient aqueducts are a testament to the great engineering skill of the Roman Empire.

   • 1976 August 28, Steven Blevins, “Ads and Beauty Contests”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 9, page 4:

     These ads are a sad testament to the paper's attitude toward gay men, and a disheartening indication of the direction GCN may be going.

4. A credo, expression of conviction

   The prime minister's speech was a glowing testament to the cabinet's undying commitment to the royal cause.

Derived terms

• Final Testament
• holographic testament
• New Testament
• Old Testament
• testamentary

Related terms

• intestate
• testate
• testator
• testify
• testimonial
• testimony

Translations

document containing a person's will

• Albanian: testament (sq) m
• Arabic: وَصِيَّة f (waṣiyya)
• Armenian: կտակ (hy) (ktak)
• Avar: васият (wasijat)
• Azerbaijani: vəsiyyət (az), vəsiyyətnamə
• Bashkir: васыят (vasıyat)
• Belarusian: запаве́т m (zapavjét), духо́ўніца f (duxóŭnica), завяшча́нне n (zavjaščánnje), завяшча́ньне n (zavjaščánʹnje), нака́з m (nakáz), тэстама́нт m (testamánt)
• Bengali: অসিয়ত (bn) (ośiẏot), উইল (bn) (uil)
• Bulgarian: за́вещание (bg) n (záveštanie)
• Burmese: သေတမ်းစာ (my) (setam:ca)
• Catalan: testament (ca) m
• Central Melanau: wil
• Chechen: весет (veset)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 平安紙 / 平安纸 (ping⁴ on¹ zi²), 遺囑 / 遗嘱 (wai⁴ zuk¹)

  Mandarin: 遺囑 / 遗嘱 (zh) (yízhǔ)

• Czech: závěť (cs) f, poslední vůle f
• Danish: testamente (da) n
• Dutch: testament (nl) n, laatste wilsbeschikking f
• Esperanto: testamento (eo)
• Estonian: testament (et)
• Faroese: testamenti n, arvaskjal n, arvabræv n
• Finnish: testamentti (fi), viimeinen tahto
• French: testament (fr) m
• Galician: testamento (gl) m
• Georgian: ანდერძი (anderʒi)
• German: Testament (de) n, Letzter Wille m
• Greek: διαθήκη (el) f (diathíki)

  Ancient: διαθήκη f (diathḗkē)

• Hebrew: צַוָּאָה / צוואה f (tsava'á)
• Hindi: वसीयत (hi) f (vasīyat)
• Hungarian: végrendelet (hu), testamentum (hu)
• Hunsrik: Testement n
• Icelandic: erfðaskrá (is) f
• Indonesian: wasiat (id)
• Irish: tiomna (ga) m, uacht (ga) f
• Italian: lascito (it) m, testamento (it) m
• Japanese: 遺書 (ja) (いしょ, isho), 遺言 (ja) (ゆいごん, yuigon, いごん, igon)
• Kazakh: өсиет (ösiet), өсиетнама (ösietnama), өсиетхат (ösietxat)
• Khmer: មត្តកសាសន៍ (mattaʼkaʼsaah)
• Korean: 유서(遺書) (ko) (yuseo), 유언(遺言) (ko) (yueon)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: wesyet (ku)

• Kyrgyz: осуят (ky) (osuyat), керээзкат (kereezkat)
• Lao: ພິໄນກັມ (phi nai kam)
• Latin: testāmentum n
• Latvian: testaments m
• Lithuanian: testamentas m
• Luhya: ewill, ewili, luwasia
• Luxembourgish: Testament n
• Macedonian: завешта́ние n (zaveštánie), за́вет m (závet), тестаме́нт m (testamént)
• Malay: wasiat
• Manx: çhymney m
• Maori: wira
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: гэрээслэл (mn) (gereeslel)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: testament n

• Old English: ierfeġewrit n
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: وَصِیَّت (fa) (vasiyyat), وَصِیَّت‌نامِه (fa) (vasiyyat-nâme)

• Polish: testament (pl) m
• Portuguese: testamento (pt) m
• Romanian: testament (ro) n
• Russian: заве́т (ru) m (zavét), завеща́ние (ru) n (zaveščánije), нака́з (ru) m (nakáz)
• Scottish Gaelic: tiomnadh
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: о̏порука f, теста̀мент m

  Roman: ȍporuka (sh) f, testàment (sh) m

• Slovak: testament m, závet m
• Slovene: oporoka (sl) f,
• Spanish: testamento (es) m
• Swahili: wosia
• Swedish: testamente (sv) n
• Tagalog: hulimbilin, tipan
• Tajik: васият (vasiyat), васиятнома (vasiyatnoma)
• Tatar: васыять (tt) (wasıyat’), васыятьнамә (wasıyat’namä)
• Telugu: వీలునామా (te) (vīlunāmā)
• Thai: พินัยกรรม (th) (pí-nai-gam)
• Turkish: kalıtyazı (tr), vasiyet (tr), vasiyetname (tr)
• Turkmen: wesýet, wesýetnama
• Ukrainian: запові́т m (zapovít), духівни́ця f (duxivnýcja), тестаме́нт (uk) m (testamént)
• Urdu: وَصِیَت (ur) f (vasiyat)
• Uyghur: ۋەسىيەت (wesiyet)
• Uzbek: vasiyat (uz), vasiyatnoma (uz)
• Vietnamese: di chúc (vi) (遺囑), chúc thư (vi) (囑書) (uncommon)
• Welsh: ewyllys (cy) f

part of the Bible

• Arabic: عَهْد m (ʕahd)
• Armenian: կտակարան (hy) (ktakaran)
• Azerbaijani: əhd (az)
• Belarusian: запаве́т m (zapavjét)
• Bulgarian: заве́т (bg) m (zavét)
• Catalan: testament (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 約書 / 约书 (joek³ syu¹)

  Mandarin: 約書 / 约书 (zh) (yuēshū)

• Czech: zákon (cs) m, testament (cs) m
• Danish: testamente (da)
• Dutch: testament (nl) n (often capitalized)
• Esperanto: testamento (eo)
• Finnish: testamentti (fi)
• French: testament (fr) m
• Georgian: აღთქმა (aɣtkma)
• German: Testament (de) n
• Gothic: 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌰 f (triggwa)
• Greek:

  Ancient: διαθήκη f (diathḗkē)

• Hungarian: testamentum (hu)
• Hunsrik: Testement n
• Indonesian: perjanjian (id)
• Irish: tiomna (ga) m
• Italian: testamento (it) m
• Japanese: 聖書 (ja) (せいしょ, seisho)
• Korean: 성서(聖書) (ko) (seongseo)
• Macedonian: за́вет m (závet)
• Maori: kawenata
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: testamente n

• Old English: ægesetnes f, cyþnes f
• Polish: testament (pl) m
• Portuguese: testamento (pt) m
• Romanian: testament (ro) n
• Russian: заве́т (ru) m (zavét)
• Scottish Gaelic: Tiomnadh m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: за́вет m, за́вјет m

  Roman: závet (sh) m, závjet (sh) m

• Slovak: zákon (sk) m, testament m
• Slovene: zaveza f
• Spanish: testamento (es) m
• Swahili: agano (sw)
• Swedish: testament (sv) n
• Tagalog: tipan
• Ukrainian: заві́т m (zavít), запові́т m (zapovít)
• Urdu: عَہْد نامَہ m ('ahd nāma)

tangible proof or tribute

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: osoitus (fi), (konkreettinen) todiste (tangible proof); kunnianosoitus (fi) (tribute)
• Portuguese: testemunho (pt) m, demonstração (pt) f

credo — see credo

Further reading

• “testament”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “testament”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Verb

testament (third-person singular simple present testaments, present participle testamenting, simple past and past participle testamented)

1. (intransitive) To make a will.
2. (transitive) To bequeath or leave by will.

Anagrams

• statement, tentmates, Amstetten

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin testāmentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [təs.təˈmen]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [təs.təˈment]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [tes.taˈment]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

testament m (plural testaments)

1. testament
2. will (document)

Derived terms

• Antic Testament
• Nou Testament

Further reading

• “testament” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “testament”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “testament” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “testament” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch testament, from Old French testament, from Latin testāmentum (“the publication of a will, a will, testament”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛstaˈmɛnt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: tes‧ta‧ment
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

testament n (plural testamenten, diminutive testamentje n)

1. (law) testament, last will
2. (biblical) testament (part of the Bible)

Derived terms

• Nieuwe Testament n
• Oude Testament n
• testamentair (adjective)

Descendants

• Negerhollands: testament
• → Indonesian: testamen

References

• “testament” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]

French

Etymology

From Old French testament, from Latin testāmentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛs.ta.mɑ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

testament m (plural testaments)

1. (law) testament, last will
2. legacy

Derived terms

• Ancien Testament
• Nouveau Testament
• testamentaire

Further reading

• “testament”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• testamente

Etymology

From Latin testāmentum, via Old Norse testament.

Noun

testament n (definite singular testamentet, indefinite plural testament or testamenter, definite plural testamenta or testamentene)

1. (law) a will (and/or) testament

Related terms

• testamentere

References

• “testament” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• testamente

Etymology

From Latin testāmentum, via Old Norse testament.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛstɑˈmɛnt/

Noun

testament n (definite singular testamentet, indefinite plural testament, definite plural testamenta)

1. (law) a will, testament (declaration of disposal of inheritance)
2. (Christianity) a testament (one of the two parts of the Bible)

References

• “testament” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old French

Etymology

From Latin testāmentum.

Noun

testament oblique singular, m (oblique plural testamenz or testamentz, nominative singular testamenz or testamentz, nominative plural testament)

1. testimony; statement

Descendants

• → English: testament
• French: testament

Piedmontese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /testaˈmɛŋt/

Noun

testament m

1. testament

Polish

testament

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin testāmentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛsˈta.mɛnt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -amɛnt
• Syllabification: tes‧ta‧ment

Noun

testament m inan (diminutive testamencik, related adjective testamentowy or testamentalny or testamentarny)

1. testament, will (formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes)
2. legacy (artistic creation or spiritual message left behind after someone's death for future generations)

Declension

Declension of testament

	singular	plural
nominative	testament	testamenty
genitive	testamentu	testamentów
dative	testamentowi	testamentom
accusative	testament	testamenty
instrumental	testamentem	testamentami
locative	testamencie	testamentach
vocative	testamencie	testamenty

Derived terms

nouns

• testamentarz

Related terms

adverbs

• testamentalnie
• testamentarnie
• testamentowo

Further reading

• testament in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• testament in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• testament in PWN's encyclopedia

Romanian

Alternative forms

• тестамент (testament) — post-1930s Cyrillic spelling

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin testamentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tes.taˈment/
• Rhymes: -ent
• Hyphenation: tes‧ta‧ment

Noun

testament n (plural testamente)

1. will

Declension

Declension of testament

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	testament	testamentul		testamente	testamentele
genitive-dative	testament	testamentului		testamente	testamentelor
vocative	testamentule			testamentelor

References

• “testament”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Latin testāmentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /testǎment/

Noun

testàment m (Cyrillic spelling теста̀мент)

1. (law) the (last) will (legal document)

Declension

Declension of testament

	singular	plural
nominative	testament	testamenti
genitive	testamenta	testàmenātā
dative	testamentu	testamentima
accusative	testament	testamente
vocative	testamente	testamenti
locative	testamentu	testamentima
instrumental	testamentom	testamentima

Related terms

• ȍporuka (formal, Croatia)