eyewitness

American  

[ahy-wit-nis, ahy-wit-nis, ahy-wit-nis] / ˈaɪˌwɪt nɪs, ˈaɪˈwɪt nɪs, ˈaɪˌwɪt nɪs /

noun

1. a person who actually sees some act, occurrence, or thing and can give a firsthand account of it.

   There were two eyewitnesses to the murder.

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verb (used with object)

1. to view with one's own eyes.

   to eyewitness a murder.

eyewitness British  

/ ˈaɪˌwɪtnɪs /

noun

1. 1. a person present at an event who can describe what happened

   2. ( as modifier )

      an eyewitness account

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Etymology

Origin of eyewitness

First recorded in 1530–40; eye + witness

Explanation

An eyewitness is an observer who's seen something clearly enough to describe it. If you're an eyewitness to a car accident, the police might want to ask you exactly what you saw. An eyewitness is valuable to crime investigators because she has seen the incident happen with her own eyes. You could also be an eyewitness to something less serious, like a boy being mean to his younger brother when he thinks no one is watching, or a woman throwing her soda can on the ground. While a witness may have valuable information about something, an eyewitness is even more important because he has actually seen — or witnessed — the event in question.

Example Sentences

By analysing verified footage, social media posts and satellite imagery and comparing these with eyewitness accounts, we have identified at least five strikes that hit Hay el Sellom in quick succession.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

According to Hernández’s attorney, Patrick Kolasinski, and at least one eyewitness, officers fired their guns first, prompting a panicked Hernández to try and drive away.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

During the trial, the prosecution presented 18 witnesses, building a case based on forensic, digital, and eyewitness evidence.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

The paper’s union—which at that point had been without a contract since 2017—published multiple eyewitness accounts and said he threatened to fire certain staffers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

After the fact, eyewitness testimony became a form of virtual witnessing, hence Boyle’s insistence that he did not appeal ‘to other Writers as to Judges, but as to Witnesses’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• bystander
• observer
• witness