bystander
Americannoun
-
bystanders
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bystander
First recorded in 1610–20; by- + stand ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Someone who observes an event without taking part in it is a bystander. The police may want to interview any bystanders who witnessed a robbery, to get a description of the robber. A bystander does exactly what the word describes: they stand by, watching what's happening but not participating. You'll often hear the phrase "innocent bystander." For example, a newspaper might report on a fight breaking out after a football game, resulting in injuries to innocent bystanders. Before this word was coined around 1610, stander-by was common.
Vocabulary lists containing bystander
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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"A Job for Valentin" and "In the Heart of a Hero"
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Because They Marched
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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.
See Examples For:
A bystander begged to help Good, to check her pulse and perform first aid.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
This avian bystander may have recognized a fellow bird of prey in Coriolanus, whose role in the Roman ecosystem is necessary yet not fit for all purposes in a young democracy beset with growing pains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Another may have wounded another bystander, who is suing the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
South Yorkshire Police have named Shanice Brookes, 30, as the "innocent bystander" killed outside One Four One in West Street in the early hours of Monday.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
And I refuse to be a bystander any longer.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
It should be to keep the bully from taking over the playground by refusing intimidation, empowering the bystanders and enforcing boundaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Two people appear to still be alive and are being treated by bystanders.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
These are not neutral bystanders being swept into a media spat.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
It described the move as a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of bystanders and the operational capabilities of authorities to counter potential drones.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
As Dad and Mother, dressed in dusters and wearing goggles, went scorching through the streets of Boston, bystanders tossed insults and ridicule in their direction.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
