testificare

Testificare is an Italian verb meaning to testify or to attest. Its primary sense is to bear witness by giving a statement under oath, especially in legal settings; it can also mean to attest the truth of a statement, or to certify a document. Etymology: from Latin testificari, from testis “witness” + -ficare; entered Italian via Latin and the medieval legal vocabulary.

Conjugation: Regular -are verb. Present indicative: io testifico, tu testifichi, lui/lei testifica, noi testifichiamo, voi testificate, loro testificano. Passato prossimo: ho testificato; imperfect: testificavo; future: testificherò; conditional: testificherei; subjunctive: che io testifichi, che noi testifichiamo.

Usage: In law: "testificare in tribunale" to give evidence; "testificare contro" or "testificare a favore" in support or against a case. In general: "testificare" can mean to attest the truth of something or to certify a document, e.g., "testificare la veridicità di una dichiarazione." The verb is sometimes overlapped with "testimoniare," which is more common for giving a testimony in a narrative form. In written or formal contexts, "testificare" may appear in administrative language; synonyms include attestare and certificare.

See also: testimoni, testimonianza, attestare, attestazione.