witness

[wit-nis]

verb (used with object)

1. to see, hear, or know by personal presence and perception.

   to witness an accident.

   Synonyms: note, notice, mark, watch, perceive

2. to be present at (an occurrence) as a formal witness, spectator, bystander, etc..

   She witnessed our wedding.

3. to bear witness to; testify to; give or afford evidence of.

4. to attest by one's signature.

   He witnessed her will.

verb (used without object)

1. to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.

noun

1. an individual who, being present, personally sees or perceives a thing; a beholder, spectator, or eyewitness.

2. a person or thing that affords evidence.

3. a person who gives testimony, as in a court of law.

4. a person who signs a document attesting the genuineness of its execution.

5. testimony or evidence.

   to bear witness to her suffering.

   Synonyms: substantiation, confirmation, proof

6. (initial capital letter),  a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

witness

/ ˈwɪtnɪs /

noun

1. a person who has seen or can give first-hand evidence of some event

2. a person or thing giving or serving as evidence

3. a person who testifies, esp in a court of law, to events or facts within his own knowledge

4. a person who attests to the genuineness of a document, signature, etc, by adding his own signature

5. 1. to give written or oral testimony

   2. to be evidence or proof of

verb

1. (tr) to see, be present at, or know at first hand

2. to give or serve as evidence (of)

3. (tr) to be the scene or setting of

   this field has witnessed a battle

4. (intr) to testify, esp in a court of law, to events within a person's own knowledge

5. (tr) to attest to the genuineness of (a document, signature, etc) by adding one's own signature

Other Word Forms

• witnessable adjective
• witnesser noun
• prewitness noun
• self-witness noun
• self-witnessed adjective
• well-witnessed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of witness¹

First recorded before 950; (noun) Middle English, Old English witnes originally, “knowledge, understanding”; wit ¹, -ness; (verb) Middle English, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of witness¹

Old English witnes (meaning both testimony and witness ), from witan to know, _wit ² + _-ness ; related to Old Norse vitni

Synonym Study

See observe.

Example Sentences

An aspiring journalist, Jennifer is an empathetic witness not only to Miriam’s struggles but to the hardships and bravery of all the women in the shop.

From Los Angeles Times

Of all the disturbing trends I’ve been made unwitting witness to in the hyper-technological age, cheering for someone’s unemployment stands out as one of the most grotesquely cruel.

From Salon

The crowd erupted — elated to witness one of the greatest actors of our time step out of retirement to embody a role in his son’s directorial debut.

From Los Angeles Times

According to interviews with wrestlers who witnessed the incident, Smith appeared to be in character, and playing a persona familiar to his wrestling fans.

From Los Angeles Times

Number 10's press secretary said "the suggestion that the government withheld evidence, withdrew witnesses or restricted the ability of a witness to draw on a particular bit of evidence are all untrue".

From BBC

Related Words

• attend 
• mark 
• note 
• notice 
• see 
• watch 

When To Use

What does witness mean?

A witness is someone who was present at or perceives an incident, event, or occurrence, as in Jamal was a witness to the fact that I completed all my homework.People who witness something typically do so through seeing, although they can also witness a smell or sound. In order to witness an event, one must simply be present at the time the event happened, even if the witness was not directly involved.To witness something is to see, hear, sense, or know something, as in I witnessed our dog running out the door, but I didn’t see where she went.To witness is also to testify or give evidence, especially in a court of law.Example: The key witness in the theft case was a local shop owner.