witness

[wit-nis]

verb (used with object)

1. to see, hear, or know by personal presence and perception.

   to witness an accident.

   Synonyms: note, notice, mark, watch, perceive

2. to be present at (an occurrence) as a formal witness, spectator, bystander, etc..

   She witnessed our wedding.

3. to bear witness to; testify to; give or afford evidence of.

4. to attest by one's signature.

   He witnessed her will.

verb (used without object)

1. to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.

noun

1. an individual who, being present, personally sees or perceives a thing; a beholder, spectator, or eyewitness.

2. a person or thing that affords evidence.

3. a person who gives testimony, as in a court of law.

4. a person who signs a document attesting the genuineness of its execution.

5. testimony or evidence.

   to bear witness to her suffering.

   Synonyms: substantiation, confirmation, proof

6. (initial capital letter),  a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

witness

/ ˈwɪtnɪs /

noun

1. a person who has seen or can give first-hand evidence of some event

2. a person or thing giving or serving as evidence

3. a person who testifies, esp in a court of law, to events or facts within his own knowledge

4. a person who attests to the genuineness of a document, signature, etc, by adding his own signature

5. 1. to give written or oral testimony

   2. to be evidence or proof of

verb

1. (tr) to see, be present at, or know at first hand

2. to give or serve as evidence (of)

3. (tr) to be the scene or setting of

   this field has witnessed a battle

4. (intr) to testify, esp in a court of law, to events within a person's own knowledge

5. (tr) to attest to the genuineness of (a document, signature, etc) by adding one's own signature

Other Word Forms

• witnessable adjective
• witnesser noun
• prewitness noun
• self-witness noun
• self-witnessed adjective
• well-witnessed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of witness¹

First recorded before 950; (noun) Middle English, Old English witnes originally, “knowledge, understanding”; wit ¹, -ness; (verb) Middle English, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of witness¹

Old English witnes (meaning both testimony and witness ), from witan to know, _wit ² + _-ness ; related to Old Norse vitni

Synonym Study

See observe.

Example Sentences

The violence, which erupted in May 2023 between the majority Meitei and the indigenous Kuki communities, was the worst the region had witnessed in decades.

Read more on BBC

The indictment named 13 witnesses who testified before the criminal grand jury, including a city council member, the city’s economic development director, a former council member and a former city manager.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

If you believe you’re the victim of election fraud or have witnessed a violation of the California Elections Code, you can submit a complaint form or call the secretary of state’s office.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The judge decreed there were “reasonable grounds to believe that such disclosure” to Mr. Cruz “will result in destruction of or tampering with evidence, intimidation of potential witnesses and serious jeopardy to the investigation.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has told the BBC of how residents came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• attend 
• mark 
• note 
• notice 
• see 
• watch 

When To Use

What does witness mean?

A witness is someone who was present at or perceives an incident, event, or occurrence, as in Jamal was a witness to the fact that I completed all my homework.People who witness something typically do so through seeing, although they can also witness a smell or sound. In order to witness an event, one must simply be present at the time the event happened, even if the witness was not directly involved.To witness something is to see, hear, sense, or know something, as in I witnessed our dog running out the door, but I didn’t see where she went.To witness is also to testify or give evidence, especially in a court of law.Example: The key witness in the theft case was a local shop owner.