# testament
## 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: /ˈtɛs.tə.mənt/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (General Australian) IPA: /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.
    The ancient aqueducts are a testament to the great engineering skill of the Roman Empire.
** 1976 August 28, Steven Blevins, “Ads and Beauty Contests”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 9, page 4:These ads are a sad testament to the paper's attitude toward gay men, and a disheartening indication of the direction GCN may be going.
* A credo, expression of conviction
    The prime minister's speech was a glowing testament to the cabinet's undying commitment to the royal cause.

#### Derived terms

* Final Testament
* holographic testament
* New Testament
* Old Testament
* testamentary

#### Related terms

* intestate
* testate
* testator
* testify
* testimonial
* testimony

#### 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: (Central) [təs.təˈmen]
* IPA: (Balearic) [təs.təˈment]
* IPA: (Valencia) [tes.taˈment]
* Audio (Barcelona):(file)

### 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: /tɛstaˈmɛnt/
* Audio:(file)
* 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

* Nieuwe Testament n
* Oude Testament n
* testamentair (adjective)

#### 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: /tɛs.ta.mɑ̃/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

testament m (plural testaments)
* (law) testament, last will
* legacy

#### Derived terms

* Ancien Testament
* Nouveau Testament
* testamentaire

### 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: /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: /testaˈmɛŋt/

### Noun

testament m
* testament

## Polish
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin testāmentum.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /tɛsˈta.mɛnt/
* Audio:(file)
* 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)

#### Derived terms

* testamentarz

#### Related terms

* testamentalnie
* testamentarnie
* testamentowo

### 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: /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: /testǎment/

### Noun

testàment m (Cyrillic spelling теста̀мент)
* (law) the (last) will (legal document)

#### Related terms

* ȍporuka (formal, Croatia)