certify usually applies to a written statement, especially one carrying a signature or seal.
certified that the candidate had met all requirements
attest applies to oral or written testimony usually from experts or witnesses.
attested to the authenticity of the document
witness applies to the subscribing of one's own name to a document as evidence of its genuineness.
witnessed the signing of the will
vouch applies to one who testifies as a competent authority or a reliable person.
willing to vouch for her integrity
Example Sentences
Noun The defense called its first witness to the stand. a witness for the defense His aunt and uncle were witnesses at his baptism. There must be two witnesses present when she signs the document. Verb Several people witnessed the accident. We are witnessing a historic moment. He witnessed the signing of her will. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
According to court documents, the witness was heard by 911 operators trying to stop the fight while on the phone. Ayana Hamilton, The Arizona Republic, 8 Sep. 2022 When Lewis was still missing, Stapf and Dauphinais were arrested in New York that month on charges of witness tampering and child endangerment.Fox News, 8 Sep. 2022 Joseph Stapf, 31, will also plead guilty to second-degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, and witness tampering, according to a document filed last week in Hillsborough County Superior Court in New Hampshire. Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Parker, the last living witness of Emmett’s abduction, has also inherited the Emmett Till story. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 Based on the young witness at the center of the Spinak case, a scandal involving Chilean pedophilia and prostitution networks that rocked the country, the film grapples with morality and the struggle towards justice for those without means. Holly Jones, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 Personnel at the Pitkin County Emergency Dispatch Center received a call from the witness before 8 a.m. local time on Saturday and proceeded to alert the sheriff's office. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 5 Sep. 2022 The witness was able to provide the rescue group with the exact location of the woman's body, the release said. Amir Vera, CNN, 4 Sep. 2022 The driver then appears to hand the phone over to the witness and walk away. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2022
Verb
The victim's children, 7-year-old and 1-year-old girls, were inside the house and did not witness the brutal beheading, ABC 7 News reported. Andrew Mark Miller, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2022 Authorities encourage Houston residents who witness animal cruelty to fill out the Houston SPCA's Online Reporting Form or call 713.869.7722. Michael Murney, Chron, 7 Sep. 2022 People who witness crimes in progress are encouraged to call 911 rather than confronting suspects, according to police. Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 There are still many nonbelievers, witness the Athletic’s annual poll of 50 NFL coaches and executives.Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2022 Some sources, including a fourth neighbor who did not witness any arguments, say Clenney was often visibly under the influence of alcohol or other substances. Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2022 Children who witness shootings, or lose loved ones — like parents — to gun violence are at higher risk of struggling from substance use, depression, anxiety and PTSD, the organization said. Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2022 Szilagy agreed closing the loophole would not only reduce intimate partner homicides, but also prevent more childhood trauma from youth injured or killed in domestic crossfire or who witness domestic abuse. Katherine Swartz, USA TODAY, 16 June 2022 On Monday, White praised the tipster and encouraged others who witness suspicious behavior to do the same. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 14 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English witnesse, from Old English witnes knowledge, testimony, witness, from wit entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1