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Glite Dictionary
subpoena ad testificandum

subpoena ad testificandum

9.9
A court order telling a person to go to court and testify as a witness
  • noun
  • /səˈpiːnə æd ˌtɛstəˈfɪkəndəm/
  • Formal
translation icon : citación para testificar
  • The court issued a subpoena ad testificandum compelling the witness to appear and testify at the trial.

Examples

  • Failure to obey a subpoena ad testificandum may result in contempt of court charges.

  • Don't ignore the subpoena ad testificandum!

  • Her lawyer received a subpoena ad testificandum, requiring her presence in court as a witness.

  • The court issued a subpoena ad testificandum to the witness.

  • The lawyer presented a subpoena ad testificandum to ensure the witness would appear in court.

  • He received a subpoena ad testificandum requiring him to give testimony about what he saw.

  • A subpoena ad testificandum was issued, compelling her to testify in the upcoming trial.

Synonyms

subpoena
vssubpoena ad testificandum
  • Formal
208 9.1

A written order from a court telling someone to go to court or bring papers

has identical meaning but is a more technical or formal term

Surface Forms

subpoena ad testificandum singular
subpoenas ad testificandum plural

Morphology

subpoena + ad + testificandum

Although the phrase is a Latin legal formula, its parts are compositionally meaningful: 'subpoena' (a court order) + 'ad' (to/for) + 'testificandum' (to testify), so a learner who knows the constituents can derive 'an order to appear and give testimony'. The wording may look foreign, but semantics are transparent when the component meanings are known.

Etymology

Subpoena ad testificandum comes from Latin: subpoena meaning 'under penalty' and ad testificandum meaning 'to testify'. It is like a court paper that orders someone to appear and give evidence and warns of punishment if they do not, so that's why it means an official order to come and speak in court.