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

The 4 April incident was caught in graphic detail and from multiple angles on a police bodycam and dashboard camera, an eyewitness' phone and a doorbell security system from a nearby home.

From BBC • May 8, 2025

He reveals his initial disbelief and his process of verifying the eyewitness' story.

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2024

The eyewitness’ testimony and the other third party confirmation detailed in the book is the sort of corroboration prosecutors dream of.

From Slate • Aug. 16, 2019

Their story was not so bad for the British as the German eyewitness', but it was bad enough.

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• bystander
• observer
• witness