testament Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a profession of belief
    • he stated his political testament
  2. noun a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die
    will.
  3. noun strong evidence for something
    • his easy victory was a testament to his skill
  4. noun either of the two main parts of the Christian Bible

WordNet

Tes"ta*ment noun
Etymology
F., fr. L. testamentum, fr. testari to be a witness, to make one's last will, akin to testis a witness. Cf. Intestate, Testify.
Definitions
  1. (Law) A solemn, authentic instrument in writing, by which a person declares his will as to disposal of his estate and effects after his death. ✍ This is otherwise called a will, and sometimes a last will and testament. A testament, to be valid, must be made by a person of sound mind; and it must be executed and published in due form of law. A man, in certain cases, may make a valid will by word of mouth only. See Nuncupative will, under Nuncupative.
  2. One of the two distinct revelations of God's purposes toward man; a covenant; also, one of the two general divisions of the canonical books of the sacred Scriptures, in which the covenants are respectively revealed; as, the Old Testament; the New Testament; -- often limited, in colloquial language, to the latter.
    He is the mediator of the new testament . . . for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament. Heb. ix. 15.
    also holographic will. "Written" means, in handwriting.

Webster 1913