eyewitness

[ahy-wit-nis, ahy-wit-nis, ahy-wit-nis]

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.

verb (used with object)

1. to view with one's own eyes.

   to eyewitness a murder.

eyewitness

/ ˈaɪˌwɪtnɪs /

noun

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      an eyewitness account

Word History and Origins

Origin of eyewitness¹

First recorded in 1530–40; eye + witness

Example Sentences

She said it was "horrendous" listening to the eyewitness accounts and credited the train driver.

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He ultimately claimed that he had been framed, the real killer was a white man, and that the 15 eyewitnesses who identified him in court were lying.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The eyewitness said it looked as if work was going on at the building.

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One eyewitness said he was walking his dog in Finsbury Park when he spotted Kebatu being led away by a number of officers.

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Their work uncovered traces of two disease-causing pathogens -- those behind paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever -- which match the symptoms described in eyewitness records from that time.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• bystander 
• observer 
• witness