testimonial
Meaning of testimonial: A testimonial is a personal account claiming benefit from a product, offered without the controlled evidence needed to confirm the claim scientifically.
Definition of testimonial
A testimonial is information provided by an individual who states that a particular product or treatment helped or cured them. Testimonials are common in the marketing of dietary supplements, alternative therapies, and other health related products, often presented as a personal story rather than as data from a study.
Because a testimonial reflects one person's experience without a comparison group, controlled conditions, or verification of the underlying diagnosis, it lacks the elements needed to evaluate a claim using scientific methods. A person's improvement after using a product could result from the product itself, from the natural course of their condition, from another treatment used at the same time, or from a placebo effect.
For this reason, testimonials are not considered scientific evidence and are not used to support claims made within the medical and scientific literature, even when the personal account itself is offered in good faith.
Used in a sentence
The advertisement featured a testimonial from a customer describing improvement after using the supplement.
Good to know
A testimonial describes one person's experience and cannot rule out other explanations for their improvement, which is why it is treated differently from evidence gathered under controlled study conditions.
Word origin
Where “testimonial” comes from
Formed from Latin testimonium, meaning evidence or witness, from testis, meaning witness.