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Synonyms

bystander

American  
[bahy-stan-der] / ˈbaɪˌstæn dər /

noun

  1. a person present but not involved; chance spectator; onlooker.

    Synonyms:
    sidewalk superintendent, rubberneck, witness, passerby, viewer, observer
bystander British  
/ ˈbaɪˌstændə /

noun

  1. a person present but not involved; onlooker; spectator

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

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.

Shortly after, bystander footage, discreetly filmed by a camp resident, picks up from the other direction to the CCTV.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

And, finally, your brother-in-law is not an objective bystander.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 8, 2026

The 30-second spot features a young man in a park attempting pull-ups, who asks a muscular bystander about achieving six-pack abs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

“We’re with you!” a bystander can be heard telling her in the video as others blow emergency whistles.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

He was proud of never having hurt an innocent bystander.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

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.