In 1639, Scottish poet William Drummond responded to the politics of his day with a facetious set of new laws, including one stipulating that "no man wear a ... periwig, unless he have a testimonial from a town-clerk, that he is either bald, sickly, or asham'd of white hairs." Testimonials take different forms, but always, like in Drummond's faux law, they provide affirmation or evidence. (Testimonial traces to Latin testimonium, meaning "evidence" or "witness.") In the 19th century, testimonial developed a new use, referring to a tribute—that is, a gift presented as a public expression of appreciation. Today, testimonial is most often used to refer to a statement that endorses a product or service.
Noun He received a glowing testimonial from his former employer. her performance in this tournament has been a testimonial to the dedication and talent she brings to the tennis court
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This wording is better placed in a testimonial about you, written by someone else. Helen Croydon, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Kate Moss has been sporting this trend recently, most notably during her testimonial for the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. Darcy Brown, refinery29.com, 26 July 2022 The victim’s family had come from South Carolina and his father gave a wrenching testimonial about the loss of his son. Alec Macgillis, ProPublica, 19 July 2022 Vashem researchers and officials provided conflicting accounts about whether there was any link between the donation and the testimonial.Washington Post, 5 May 2022 Or what about adding a video testimonial to your website? Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY, 8 June 2022 Filming a testimonial or success story can prompt people who are on the fence to give your brand a test drive. Michael Plummer, Forbes, 3 June 2022 After a lineup of speakers — including pastors, city officials and law enforcement leaders — Chang’s short testimonial hit home for many, commanding a standing ovation from the audience of about 150. Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2022 Surely a testimonial to their great kindness will be more valued than any trinket.Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2022
Adjective
The original plan upon Valeri’s transfer to Lanús was to have the two clubs play a friendly testimonial match at Providence Park in 2023, after which Valeri would join the Timbers’ front office.oregonlive, 2 June 2022 The trial, in short, turned the op-ed into an ouroboros: what was intended as a #MeToo testimonial about women being punished for naming their experiences became a post-#MeToo instrument for punishing a woman who named her experiences. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 2 June 2022 Chronically ill and disabled patients already face significant testimonial injustice in the clinic due to widespread and normalized discrimination against them. Danielle Wenner, STAT, 19 May 2022 Folks will have the ability to step away from the broader festival to provide or view photo and testimonial opportunities, as well as take part in interactive, inspirational, and archival art projects. Taylor Mims, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2022 Motherhood has changed the sisters, who spend most of their testimonial time reiterating the role their kids play in their lives. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2022 There were testimonial readings by British actors Tamsin Greig and Eddie Marsan, describing the real-life experiences of Artem and Natalya who were forced to flee their respective homes as a result of the conflict. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022 Valeri transferred back to Lanús in the offseason, and as part of the transfer, the two clubs will play each other in a testimonial friendly match at Providence Park in 2023, with Valeri playing one half for each team.oregonlive, 11 Feb. 2022 Earlier, voting on a testimonial resolution welcoming the guru to Detroit, Councilman David Eberhard voted no. Jim Neubacher, Detroit Free Press, 9 Jan. 2022 See More