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Glite Dictionary
to witnesseth

to witnesseth

9.9
Shows something as true in a legal document
  • verb
  • /ˈwɪtnəsɛθ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : atestigua
  • The deed witnesseth that the property has been transferred to the new owner.

Examples

  • The contract begins with the phrase 'Now therefore, this agreement witnesseth'.

  • He witnesseth that the contract was signed in good faith.

  • In old legal documents, you may find the word witnesseth introducing the main terms.

  • The document witnesseth the agreement between the parties.

  • The contract begins with the phrase 'Now therefore, this agreement witnesseth'.

  • The deed witnesseth that the property has been transferred to the new owner.

  • The document witnesseth the agreement between the parties.

Synonyms

to testify
vsto witnesseth
142 4.9

To show that something is true with proof

is a formal legal document phrase rather than general evidential action
to attest
vsto witnesseth
  • Formal
57 6.6

To officially confirm that something is true, often in court

is archaic legal wording rather than modern formal language
to bear witness
vsto witnesseth
  • Formal
29 4.6

Show that something is true, often by signs or by people saying they saw it

is written legal phrasing used in documents, not the spoken act

How Conclusive

to prove
∞ 3.1
to witnesseth
  • Archaic
9.9
to attest
  • Formal
57 6.6
to demonstrate
579 3.0
to show
∞ 1.0
to indicate
834 2.7
to suggest
∞ 2.1

Surface Forms

witnesseth infinitive
witnessed past
witnessed past participle
witnessing present participle
witnesseth third person singular

Morphology

witnesseth = witness (semi-transparent) = witness + eth

Formed from the verb 'witness' plus the archaic third-person singular suffix '-eth'; the meaning is directly derivable but the suffix is archaic and may be unfamiliar to modern learners.

Etymology

Witnesseth is the old-fashioned form of witness plus the ending -eth. The -eth ending is like today's 's' in 'witnesses', and witness comes from wit meaning 'knowledge', so witnesseth means 'proves' or 'shows as proof', which is why it appears in legal papers.