unwitnessed

[uhn-wit-nist]

adjective

1. lacking the signature of a witness.

   an unwitnessed legal document.

2. not perceived by the senses; not noticed or observed.

   unwitnessed everyday occurrences.

unwitnessed

/ ʌnˈwɪtnɪst /

adjective

1. without the signature or attestation of a witness

2. not seen or observed

Word History and Origins

Origin of unwitnessed¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; un- ¹, witness, -ed ²

Example Sentences

Matt Primomo died of injuries sustained in an “unwitnessed fall” from Icicle Buttress, according to Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris.

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He explains the two types of cardiac arrest—witnessed and unwitnessed—and gives recommendations accordingly: Given that I’m healthy, if I go into cardiac arrest and there are witnesses, I likely want people to do anything they can to resuscitate me.

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In the case of an unwitnessed cardiac arrest, CPR likely wouldn’t be beneficial.

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“If my cardiac arrest is unwitnessed, with a perceived prolonged downtime and signs of death, there is to be No Trial of CPR.”

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"Our study, although small, offers the first direct evidence that seizures may be responsible for some sudden deaths in children, which are usually unwitnessed during sleep," said study lead investigator Laura Gould, a research assistant professor at NYU Langone.

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