bystander
Americannoun
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Etymology
Origin of bystander
First recorded in 1610–20; by- + stand ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even after Blanc arrives, he’s confounded to find himself occasionally standing on the sidelines, a bystander in Jud’s moral crusade to herd his congregation toward righteousness.
From Los Angeles Times
Scientists have long debated whether water in these confined regions simply behaves as a passive bystander or affects how molecules interact.
From Science Daily
Brendan Moylan, a member of parliament for Northern Tablelands, the region where Walcha is located, thanked emergency responders and other bystanders for their "swift and incredibly professional work at the scene".
From BBC
It made me realise that bystanders can feel incredibly conflicted about taking action.
From BBC
Police and bystanders rescued the group, but one woman suffered a heart attack and could not be revived.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
