Standard Lemma guide

testament

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈtɛs.tə.mənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈtes.tə.mənt/
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 S T AH0 M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A solemn, authentic instrument in writing, by which a person declares his or her will as to disposal of his or her inheritance (estate and effects) after his or her death, benefiting specified heir(s).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: will, last will and testament, last will

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One of the two parts to the scriptures of the Christian religion: the New Testament, considered by Christians to be a continuation of the Hebrew scriptures, and the Hebrew scriptures themselves, which they refer to as the Old Testament.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A tangible proof or tribute.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The ancient aqueducts are a testament to the great engineering skill of the Roman Empire.
  • His remarkable recovery is a testament to the doctor's skill.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: testimony

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A credo, expression of conviction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The prime minister's speech was a glowing testament to the cabinet's undying commitment to the royal cause.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To make a will.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To bequeath or leave by will.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a profession of belief

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he stated his political testament

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: creed, credo

8

noun

Meaning 8

either of the two main parts of the Christian Bible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sacred text, sacred writing, religious writing, religious text

9

noun

Meaning 9

a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: will

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: legal document, legal instrument, official document, instrument

Narrower terms: Old Testament, New Testament, devise

10

noun

Meaning 10

strong evidence for something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his easy victory was a testament to his skill

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: testimony, testimonial

History

Etymology

From Middle English testament, from Old French testament, from Latin testāmentum (“the publication of a will, a will, testament, in Late Latin one of the divisions of the Bible”), from testor (“to be a witness, testify, attest, make a will”), from testis (“one who attests, a witness”). Displaced native Old English ġecȳþnes.

Across languages

Translations

186 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Arabic: وَصِيَّة (waṣiyya) — document containing a person's will
  • Armenian: կտակ (ktak) — document containing a person's will
  • Avar: васият (wasijat) — document containing a person's will
  • Azerbaijani: vəsiyyət — document containing a person's will
  • Azerbaijani: vəsiyyətnamə — document containing a person's will
  • Bashkir: васыят (vasıyat) — document containing a person's will
  • Belarusian: запаве́т (zapavjét) — document containing a person's will
  • Belarusian: духо́ўніца (duxównica) — document containing a person's will
  • Belarusian: завяшча́нне (zavjaščánnje) — document containing a person's will
  • Belarusian: завяшча́ньне (zavjaščánʹnje) — document containing a person's will
  • Belarusian: нака́з (nakáz) — document containing a person's will
  • Belarusian: тэстама́нт (testamánt) — document containing a person's will
  • Bengali: অসিয়ত (ośiẏot) — document containing a person's will
  • Bengali: উইল (uil) — document containing a person's will
  • Bulgarian: за́вещание (záveštanie) — document containing a person's will
  • Burmese: သေတမ်းစာ (setam:ca) — document containing a person's will
  • Catalan: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Chechen: весет (veset) — document containing a person's will
  • Chinese Cantonese: 平安紙 /平安纸 (ping4 on1 zi2) — document containing a person's will
  • Chinese Cantonese: 遺囑 /遗嘱 (wai4 zuk1) — document containing a person's will
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遺囑 /遗嘱 (yízhǔ) — document containing a person's will
  • Czech: závěť — document containing a person's will
  • Czech: poslední vůle — document containing a person's will
  • Danish: testamente — document containing a person's will
  • Dutch: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Dutch: laatste wilsbeschikking — document containing a person's will
  • Esperanto: testamento — document containing a person's will
  • Estonian: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Faroese: testamenti — document containing a person's will
  • Faroese: arvaskjal — document containing a person's will
  • Faroese: arvabræv — document containing a person's will
  • Finnish: testamentti — document containing a person's will
  • Finnish: viimeinen tahto — document containing a person's will
  • French: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Galician: testamento — document containing a person's will
  • Georgian: ანდერძი (anderʒi) — document containing a person's will
  • German: Testament — document containing a person's will
  • German: Letzter Wille — document containing a person's will
  • Greek: διαθήκη (diathíki) — document containing a person's will
  • Ancient Greek: διαθήκη (diathḗkē) — document containing a person's will
  • Gujarati: વસિયતનામું (vasiyatnāmũ) — document containing a person's will
  • Hebrew: צַוָּאָה — document containing a person's will
  • Hebrew: צוואה (tsava'á) — document containing a person's will
  • Hindi: वसीयत (vasīyat) — document containing a person's will
  • Hungarian: végrendelet — document containing a person's will
  • Hungarian: testamentum — document containing a person's will
  • Hunsrik: Testement — document containing a person's will
  • Icelandic: erfðaskrá — document containing a person's will
  • Indonesian: wasiat — document containing a person's will
  • Irish: tiomna — document containing a person's will
  • Irish: uacht — document containing a person's will
  • Italian: lascito — document containing a person's will
  • Italian: testamento — document containing a person's will
  • Japanese: 遺書 (isho) — document containing a person's will
  • Japanese: 遺言 — document containing a person's will
  • Kazakh: өсиет (ösiet) — document containing a person's will
  • Kazakh: өсиетнама (ösietnama) — document containing a person's will
  • Kazakh: өсиетхат (ösietxat) — document containing a person's will
  • Khmer: មត្តកសាសន៍ (mattaʼkaʼsaah) — document containing a person's will
  • Korean: 유서 (yuseo) — document containing a person's will
  • Korean: 유언 (yueon) — document containing a person's will
  • Northern Kurdish: wesyet — document containing a person's will
  • Kyrgyz: осуят (osuyat) — document containing a person's will
  • Kyrgyz: керээзкат (kereezkat) — document containing a person's will
  • Kyrgyz: керээз (kereez) — document containing a person's will
  • Lao: ພິໄນກັມ (phi nai kam) — document containing a person's will
  • Latin: testāmentum — document containing a person's will
  • Latvian: testaments — document containing a person's will
  • Lithuanian: testamentas — document containing a person's will
  • Luhya: ewill — document containing a person's will
  • Luhya: ewili — document containing a person's will
  • Luhya: luwasia — document containing a person's will
  • Luxembourgish: Testament — document containing a person's will
  • Macedonian: завешта́ние (zaveštánie) — document containing a person's will
  • Macedonian: за́вет (závet) — document containing a person's will
  • Macedonian: тестаме́нт (testamént) — document containing a person's will
  • Malay: wasiat — document containing a person's will
  • Manx: çhymney — document containing a person's will
  • Māori: wira — document containing a person's will
  • Central Melanau: wil — document containing a person's will
  • Mongolian: гэрээслэл (gereeslel) — document containing a person's will
  • Norwegian Bokmål: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Old English: ierfeġewrit — document containing a person's will
  • Iranian Persian: وَصِیَّت (vasiyyat) — document containing a person's will
  • Iranian Persian: وَصِیَّتنامِه (vasiyyat-nâme) — document containing a person's will
  • Polish: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Portuguese: testamento — document containing a person's will
  • Romanian: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Russian: заве́т (zavét) — document containing a person's will
  • Russian: завеща́ние (zaveščánije) — document containing a person's will
  • Russian: нака́з (nakáz) — document containing a person's will
  • Scottish Gaelic: tiomnadh — document containing a person's will
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̏порука — document containing a person's will
  • Serbo-Croatian: теста̀мент — document containing a person's will
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȍporuka — document containing a person's will
  • Serbo-Croatian: testàment — document containing a person's will
  • Slovak: testament — document containing a person's will
  • Slovak: závet — document containing a person's will
  • Slovene: oporoka — document containing a person's will
  • Southern Altai: кереес (kerees) — document containing a person's will
  • Spanish: testamento — document containing a person's will
  • Swahili: wosia — document containing a person's will
  • Swedish: testamente — document containing a person's will
  • Tagalog: hulimbilin — document containing a person's will
  • Tagalog: tipan — document containing a person's will
  • Tajik: васият (vasiyat) — document containing a person's will
  • Tajik: васиятнома (vasiyatnoma) — document containing a person's will
  • Tamil: உயில் (uyil) — document containing a person's will
  • Tatar: васыять (wasıyät) — document containing a person's will
  • Tatar: васыятьнамә (wasıyätnamä) — document containing a person's will
  • Telugu: వీలునామా (vīlunāmā) — document containing a person's will
  • Thai: พินัยกรรม (pí-nai-gam) — document containing a person's will
  • Turkish: kalıtyazı — document containing a person's will
  • Turkish: vasiyet — document containing a person's will
  • Turkish: vasiyetname — document containing a person's will
  • Turkmen: wesýet — document containing a person's will
  • Turkmen: wesýetnama — document containing a person's will
  • Ukrainian: запові́т (zapovít) — document containing a person's will
  • Ukrainian: духівни́ця (duxivnýcja) — document containing a person's will
  • Ukrainian: тестаме́нт (testamént) — document containing a person's will
  • Urdu: وَصِیَت (vasiyat) — document containing a person's will
  • Uyghur: ۋەسىيەت (wesiyet) — document containing a person's will
  • Uzbek: vasiyat — document containing a person's will
  • Uzbek: vasiyatnoma — document containing a person's will
  • Vietnamese: di chúc — document containing a person's will
  • Vietnamese: chúc thư — document containing a person's will
  • Welsh: ewyllys — document containing a person's will
  • Arabic: عَهْد (ʕahd) — part of the Bible
  • Armenian: կտակարան (ktakaran) — part of the Bible
  • Azerbaijani: əhd — part of the Bible
  • Belarusian: запаве́т (zapavjét) — part of the Bible
  • Bulgarian: заве́т (zavét) — part of the Bible
  • Catalan: testament — part of the Bible
  • Chinese Cantonese: 約書 /约书 (joek3 syu1) — part of the Bible
  • Chinese Mandarin: 約書 /约书 (yuēshū) — part of the Bible
  • Czech: zákon — part of the Bible
  • Czech: testament — part of the Bible
  • Danish: testamente — part of the Bible
  • Dutch: testament — part of the Bible
  • Esperanto: testamento — part of the Bible
  • Finnish: testamentti — part of the Bible
  • French: testament — part of the Bible
  • Georgian: აღთქმა (aɣtkma) — part of the Bible
  • German: Testament — part of the Bible
  • Gothic: 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌰 (triggwa) — part of the Bible
  • Ancient Greek: διαθήκη (diathḗkē) — part of the Bible
  • Gujarati: કરાર (karār) — part of the Bible
  • Hungarian: testamentum — part of the Bible
  • Hunsrik: Testement — part of the Bible
  • Indonesian: perjanjian — part of the Bible
  • Irish: tiomna — part of the Bible
  • Italian: testamento — part of the Bible
  • Japanese: 聖書 (seisho) — part of the Bible
  • Korean: 성서 (seongseo) — part of the Bible
  • Macedonian: за́вет (závet) — part of the Bible
  • Māori: kawenata — part of the Bible
  • Norwegian Bokmål: testamente — part of the Bible
  • Old English: ægesetnes — part of the Bible
  • Old English: cyþnes — part of the Bible
  • Polish: testament — part of the Bible
  • Portuguese: testamento — part of the Bible
  • Romanian: testament — part of the Bible
  • Russian: заве́т (zavét) — part of the Bible
  • Scottish Gaelic: Tiomnadh — part of the Bible
  • Serbo-Croatian: за́вет — part of the Bible
  • Serbo-Croatian: за́вјет — part of the Bible
  • Serbo-Croatian: závet — part of the Bible
  • Serbo-Croatian: závjet — part of the Bible
  • Slovak: zákon — part of the Bible
  • Slovak: testament — part of the Bible
  • Slovene: zaveza — part of the Bible
  • Spanish: testamento — part of the Bible
  • Swahili: agano — part of the Bible
  • Swedish: testament — part of the Bible
  • Tagalog: tipan — part of the Bible
  • Thai: พันธสัญญา — part of the Bible
  • Ukrainian: заві́т (zavít) — part of the Bible
  • Ukrainian: запові́т (zapovít) — part of the Bible
  • Urdu: عَہْد نامَہ ('ahd nāma) — part of the Bible
  • Bulgarian: доказателство (dokazatelstvo) — tangible proof or tribute
  • Finnish: osoitus — tangible proof or tribute
  • Finnish: (konkreettinen) todiste — tangible proof or tribute
  • Finnish: kunnianosoitus — tangible proof or tribute
  • Portuguese: testemunho — tangible proof or tribute
  • Portuguese: demonstração — tangible proof or tribute
Real reading context

testament in complete knowledge articles