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Meaning & use

the witness stand

noun·EverydayAmerican

Last updated

UK/ˈwɪtnəs stænd/
US/ˈwɪtnəs stænd/

Meanings

  1. nounsingularAmerican

    The raised seat in a court where a witness sits while giving evidence.

    Grammar: Usually takes the: the witness stand. It is not counted, so you do not say 'a witness stand' about a particular court seat.

    Patterns

    • in the witness stand
    • on the witness stand
    • take the witness stand
    • call someone to the witness stand

    The clerk asked her to take the witness stand and state her name.

    He looked calm as he sat in the witness stand, but his hands were shaking.

    The lawyer walked slowly toward the witness stand with a photograph.

  2. nounsingularfigurative

    The position of being questioned publicly as a witness in a trial.

    Grammar: Used figuratively after take: take the witness stand means to agree to testify.

    Patterns

    • take the witness stand
    • put someone on the witness stand

    The company's accountant took the witness stand against his former boss.

    After months of silence, she finally took the witness stand.

Common combinations

take the witness stand
The doctor will take the witness stand tomorrow morning.
in the witness stand
She was in the witness stand for nearly two hours.
on the witness stand
On the witness stand, he admitted he had lied earlier.
call someone to the witness stand
The judge called the next witness to the witness stand.
step down from the witness stand
The witness stepped down from the witness stand and left the room.

Synonyms and how they differ

witness box
The British term for the same seat in court; use it in British writing and speech.
dock
The dock is where the accused person stands, not where witnesses speak, so it is not a true synonym.

Word family

witness noun
A person who sees an event or gives evidence in court.
testify verb
To give evidence formally in court.
testimony noun
The statement a witness makes in court.

Commonly confused: the witness stand or witness box?

the witness stand vs witness box

Same meaning but British; American courts use witness stand, so mixing them can sound odd in a US text.

Practice

The lawyer asked the witness to take ______ and answer the questions.

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