Testificato

Testificato is the past participle of the Italian verb testificare, meaning to testify or provide testimony. In everyday Italian, testificato functions primarily as an adjective describing something that has been given as testimony or that has served as testimony. The term is also found in formal or legal language, where it may appear to indicate a sworn statement or evidence presented in a proceeding, although more common expressions in such contexts are dichiarazione giurata or testimonianza.

In usage, testificato is often used in compound phrases such as documento testificato or dichiarazione testificata, but these forms are more typical in technical or bureaucratic texts. The noun use of testificato by itself is relatively uncommon in standard Italian; when encountered, it generally signals a document or statement that has been sworn to or formally presented as evidence, rather than everyday testimony.

Etymology and grammar: testificato derives from testificare, via Latin testificatus, from testis (witness). Grammatically it can function as a participle or in fixed expressions; its role as a standalone noun is limited and context-dependent. In most contexts, Italian speakers prefer alternatives such as testimonianza (testimony), dichiarazione (statement), or dichiarazione giurata (sworn declaration) to convey the idea of a formal or witnessed statement.

See also: Testimonianza, Testimone, Dichiarazione giurata, Affidavit.