What does testament mean?
A testament is something that serves as clear evidence of a quality, belief, experience, or achievement. The expression "a testament to" is especially common: a difficult achievement may be described as a testament to someone’s determination, while a historic building may be a testament to the skill of its builders. In legal language, a testament is a will—a formal document stating a person’s wishes about what should happen to their money, property, and affairs after death. The word often conveys respect for the significance or strength of what it describes, and its figurative use gives a statement an authoritative or ceremonial tone. Although it is sometimes confused with testimony, testament more broadly means proof or evidence, whereas testimony is especially a spoken statement or formal evidence given in court. The word’s legal and figurative senses both reflect its history as a written declaration made to bear witness to a person’s wishes.
nounA testament is a formal indication or proof of a quality, belief, or experience. In legal contexts, it means a document that records a person's wishes about the disposition of their property after death.
- A clear indication or proof of a quality, belief, experience, or achievement.
- A legal document recording a person's wishes concerning property and affairs after death.
"The success of the project is a testament to the value of careful collaboration."
"Her resilience is a testament to the strength of her character."
"He left his home to his sister in his last will and testament."
The standard plural is used when referring to more than one legal will or testamentary document.
"The archive contains several testaments dating from the early colonial period."
The word means "will" in law, but its Latin root points to a "witness": a will is a written record of what someone intended to leave behind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does testament come from?
The word entered Middle English from Old French testament, ultimately from Latin testamentum, meaning "will" or "testament." Latin testamentum was associated with testis, meaning "witness," so the word originally conveyed the idea of a written statement bearing witness to a person’s intentions. The related words testimony, testimonial, attest, and testify belong to the same Latin family of forms derived from that root.
Related word forms
How testament is actually used
In the figurative sense, the word is formal and often emphatic, suggesting that something provides especially strong evidence. Its legal use is technical and is especially common in the phrase "last will and testament."
Easily confused with testament
A testament is evidence, a declaration, or a legal will, whereas testimony is information or a formal statement given as evidence, especially in court.