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

Example Sentences

For example, errors in memory or suggestive questioning during eyewitness interviews can influence how events are remembered.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

Without access to more footage on the ground or eyewitness testimony, satellite imagery is crucial to our understanding of what happened.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

We know that eyewitness identification is notoriously unreliable.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026

Video from the scene did not clearly capture the alleged attack, and Bovino was the only Border Patrol official who testified as an eyewitness.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

Using an outline updating the 1938 script, the station’s deejay and news reporters ad-libbed eyewitness accounts of a Martian attack.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• bystander
• observer
• witness