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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.
Synonyms
Examples of testimonial in a Sentence
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
For instance, an email to prospective students might discuss how the school helps first-year students find students with similar interests and link to a video with reassuring testimonials from actual students.
—Alex Nikdel, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 2 Oct. 2024
And Kay’s rebuttal provided a testimonial, free of charge, for YES’ booth.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for testimonial 
Dictionary Entries Near testimonial
Cite this Entry
“Testimonial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testimonial. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
testimonial
1 of 2 adjective
testimonial
2 of 2 noun
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