Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To affirm to be correct, true, or genuine.
  • intransitive verb To certify by signature or oath.
  • intransitive verb To certify in an official capacity.
  • intransitive verb To supply or be evidence of: synonym: indicate.
  • intransitive verb Linguistics To confirm the existence, usage, or currency of (a word, for example), as by being recorded in writing.
  • intransitive verb To put under oath.
  • intransitive verb To bear witness; give testimony.
  • noun Archaic Attestation.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Witness; testimony; attestation.
  • To bear witness to; certify; affirm to be true or genuine; declare the truth of in words or writing; especially, affirm in an official capacity: as, to attest the truth of a writing; to attest a copy of a document.
  • To make evident; vouch for; give proof or evidence of; manifest.
  • To call to witness; invoke as knowing or conscious.
  • To put upon oath; swear in.
  • To bear witness; make an attestation: with to: as, to attest to a statement or a document.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun rare Witness; testimony; attestation.
  • transitive verb To bear witness to; to certify; to affirm to be true or genuine.
  • transitive verb To give proof of; to manifest.
  • transitive verb Archaic To call to witness; to invoke.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To affirm to be correct, true, or genuine.
  • verb To certify by signature or oath
  • verb To certify in an official capacity.
  • verb To supply or be evidence of
  • verb To put under oath.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb give testimony in a court of law
  • verb provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes
  • verb authenticate, affirm to be true, genuine, or correct, as in an official capacity
  • verb establish or verify the usage of

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin attestārī : ad-, ad- + testārī, to be witness (from testis, witness; see trei- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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").

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Examples

  • Roger Stone, the legendary dirty-trickster and apostle in the Church of Richard Nixon — seriously, the dude has a Nixon tattoo on his spine, whichI can personally attest is among the most painful places to be tattooed — is having some doubts about his role in electing George W. Bush president.

    Put The Blood On Me! Smear It And Say ‘Gorgeous,’ For We Dream Of Death | ATTACKERMAN 2008

  • Winters can be treacherous and do a lot of damage to the pavement which, anyone driving that way can attest, is further damaged by all the semis travelling that way.

    Dems ramp up attacks ahead of pivotal primaries 2008

  • And this coming from a guy, as Eric can attest, is known at times for using language that could make a sailor blush.

    Sound Politics: The Seattle Times Confesses 2006

  • Our garden, as those of you who have seen it can attest, is not large and is mainly covered in decking.

    August 1st, 2006 dame_habonde 2006

  • The Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Serbian monasteries on the holy mountain attest to the Byzantine Empire's cultural diversity.

    The Holy Mountain 2003

  • The Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Serbian monasteries on the holy mountain attest to the Byzantine Empire's cultural diversity.

    The Holy Mountain 2003

  • Cambridge is a beautiful University Town to which I can attest from a recent visit there and it has an atmosphere almost compelling one to become an academic.

    Britain's Scientific and Industrial Achievements 1971

  • The baptismal records in the archive of the Cathedral at that time written in Spanish attest that the late Mr. Thomy Lafon was born in this city on December 28th, 1810.

    The Journal of Negro History, Volume 7, 1922 Various

  • That so many of Jun Takahashi's clothes for his Undercover label attest to the sensibility of a born designer but are adamantly geared for the street is proof that Mr. Takahashi has struck an essential balance.

    NYT > Home Page By CATHY HORYN 2011

  • The sums which they paid for livery and seizin attest the greatness of their possessions; and several estates have remained in their family since the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

    The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206

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