Attesting

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈtɛstɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Demonstrating the validity of a fact or claim
2. Providing evidence that supports the truth of a statement or claim
3. Serving to verify or prove the accuracy or legitimacy of something

Etymology: The verb "attest" carries a courtroom idea in its bones: to bear witness. It was borrowed from Middle French "attester", which took it from Latin "attestari", meaning to witness to something or call something to witness. The Latin is built from "ad", "to", and "testari", to bear witness, and that verb in turn grows from "testis", a witness. So the same root that gives English "testify" and "testimony" sits underneath this word too, with the prefix pointing the act of witnessing toward whatever is being confirmed. The surprise is how literally the sense of "testis" survives. Legal testimony and attestation were once almost the same act: a person standing up to vouch for a document or event. Today "attesting" describes anything that serves as evidence of accuracy or authenticity, such as a certificate, a signature, or a stamp, even when no human voice is involved at all.

Synonyms: confirming, witnessing, certifying

Antonyms: denying