eyewitness
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
Etymology
Origin of eyewitness
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.
Vocabulary lists containing eyewitness
myPerspectives 9.3
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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.
During the trial, the prosecution presented 18 witnesses, building a case based on forensic, digital, and eyewitness evidence.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
It’s hard to find an eyewitness or reliable third party who can vouch for what took place between people behind closed doors.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 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
"Everybody in the community knows the building is very weak, yet they allowed services and activities inside," an eyewitness said.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
She’d been an eyewitness to one of Sapo’s bites.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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.
