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
Another may have wounded another bystander, who is suing the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
That seems fair to me, as a bystander.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
When the police arrived, he pointed them in the direction the man had headed before waiting alongside another female bystander with Shine until an ambulance arrived.
From BBC ● May 3, 2026
“Listen, I’m an innocent bystander here,” Oliver entreated, hands held up in surrender.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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
Wedding organizers called in bystanders to fill the seats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Isabelle pulled away and moved to leave the room, but Leto allegedly looked outside the motel room for any potential bystanders before letting her out, she recalled to the BBC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
But Morse definitely suspected that whatever had happened in the Gulf, the Americans were hardly innocent bystanders.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
