Meaning & use
testifier
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Meanings
nouncountableformallegal
A person who gives evidence, especially someone who states facts in a court of law.
Grammar: Countable: one testifier, several testifiers; it often appears after words like 'several' or 'each'.
Patterns
- a testifier in a case
- call someone as a testifier
- the testifier's account
Several testifiers described the same sequence of events.
The judge thanked each testifier for appearing in person.
Her role as a testifier was limited to what she had seen herself.
nouncountableformal
Anyone who publicly states that something is true or gives proof of it.
Grammar: Countable and slightly formal; in everyday speech people usually say 'witness' instead.
Patterns
- a testifier to something
- testifiers of the truth
He became a testifier to the value of the new treatment.
The letters stand as testifiers to a long friendship.
Word forms
| plural | testifiers |
|---|
Common combinations
- call someone as a testifier
- The defense decided not to call her as a testifier.
- a reliable testifier
- The panel was looking for a reliable testifier with clear records.
- testifiers on both sides
- Testifiers on both sides agreed on the basic facts.
- appear as a testifier
- He appeared as a testifier before the committee.
- the testimony of a testifier
- The report quoted the testimony of a testifier who wished to stay anonymous.
Synonyms and how they differ
- witness
- The everyday word for someone who sees an event or gives evidence in court; 'testifier' stresses the act of stating facts aloud.
- deponent
- A legal term for a person who makes a written statement under oath, used mainly in civil-law contexts, not for a courtroom speaker.
- attester
- Someone who confirms or certifies something, often in writing; it fits documents better than courtrooms.
Word family
- testify verb
- To state something formally as true, especially in court.
- testimony noun
- The statement a witness makes, or the evidence given in court.
- testimonial noun
- A written or spoken statement praising a person or product.
Commonly confused: testifier or testament? testifier or testimonial?
testifier vs testament
A testament is proof or a will, not a person. A testifier speaks; a testament is the thing that shows something is true.
testifier vs testimonial
A testimonial is a recommendation or tribute, while a testifier is the person who gives evidence.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'testifier' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Testifier' is a person, so only option 0 treats it as someone who can speak. The other options use it as if it were a document, a piece of writing, or a building, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “testifier”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.