Meaning & use
bystander
Last updated
A person who is present at an event but does not take part in it.
See it in a sentence
Several bystanders called for help after witnessing the accident.
Psychologists study why bystanders sometimes fail to intervene in emergencies.
A note on using this word
The 'bystander effect' is a well-known psychological phenomenon describing how people are less likely to help a victim when other bystanders are present.
Words with a similar meaning
onlookerwitness
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Words with an opposite meaning
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