English Online Dictionary. What means testament? What does testament mean?
English
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 (“I am a witness, testify, attest, make a will”), from testis (“one who attests, a witness”).
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈtɛs.tə.mənt/
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈtes.tə.mənt/
Noun
testament (plural testaments)
- (law) 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).
- Synonyms: will, last will and testament, last will
- 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.
- A tangible proof or tribute.
- A credo, expression of conviction
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Further reading
- “testament”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “testament”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
Verb
testament (third-person singular simple present testaments, present participle testamenting, simple past and past participle testamented)
- (intransitive) To make a will.
- (transitive) To bequeath or leave by will.
Anagrams
- statement, tentmates, Amstetten
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin testāmentum.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Central) [təs.təˈmen]
- IPA(key): (Balearic) [təs.təˈment]
- IPA(key): (Valencia) [tes.taˈment]
Noun
testament m (plural testaments)
- testament
- will (document)
Derived terms
- Antic Testament
- Nou Testament
Further reading
- “testament” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “testament”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
- “testament” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “testament” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch testament, from Old French testament, from Latin testāmentum (“the publication of a will, a will, testament”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tɛstaˈmɛnt/
- Hyphenation: tes‧ta‧ment
- Rhymes: -ɛnt
Noun
testament n (plural testamenten, diminutive testamentje n)
- (law) testament, last will
- (biblical) testament (part of the Bible)
Derived terms
Descendants
- Negerhollands: testament
- → Indonesian: testamen
References
- “testament” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]
French
Etymology
From Old French testament, from Latin testāmentum.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tɛs.ta.mɑ̃/
Noun
testament m (plural testaments)
- (law) testament, last will
- legacy
Derived terms
Further reading
- “testament”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Norwegian Bokmål
Alternative forms
- testamente
Etymology
From Latin testāmentum, via Old Norse testament.
Noun
testament n (definite singular testamentet, indefinite plural testament or testamenter, definite plural testamenta or testamentene)
- (law) a will (and/or) testament
Related terms
- testamentere
References
- “testament” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Alternative forms
- testamente
Etymology
From Latin testāmentum, via Old Norse testament.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tɛstɑˈmɛnt/
Noun
testament n (definite singular testamentet, indefinite plural testament, definite plural testamenta)
- (law) a will, testament (declaration of disposal of inheritance)
- (Christianity) a testament (one of the two parts of the Bible)
References
- “testament” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old French
Etymology
From Latin testāmentum.
Noun
testament oblique singular, m (oblique plural testamenz or testamentz, nominative singular testamenz or testamentz, nominative plural testament)
- testimony; statement
Descendants
- → English: testament
- French: testament
Piedmontese
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /testaˈmɛŋt/
Noun
testament m
- testament
Polish
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin testāmentum.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tɛsˈta.mɛnt/
- Rhymes: -amɛnt
- Syllabification: tes‧ta‧ment
Noun
testament m inan (diminutive testamencik, related adjective testamentowy or testamentalny or testamentarny)
- testament, will (formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes)
- legacy (artistic creation or spiritual message left behind after someone's death for future generations)
Declension
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- testament in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- testament in Polish dictionaries at PWN
- testament in PWN's encyclopedia
Romanian
Alternative forms
- тестамент (testament) — post-1930s Cyrillic spelling
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin testamentum.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tes.taˈment/
- Rhymes: -ent
- Hyphenation: tes‧ta‧ment
Noun
testament n (plural testamente)
- will
Declension
References
- testament in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
From Latin testāmentum.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /testǎment/
Noun
testàment m (Cyrillic spelling теста̀мент)
- (law) the (last) will (legal document)
Declension
Related terms
- ȍporuka (formal, Croatia)