Meaning & use
witness protection
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablelegal
A government service that hides and shields people who give evidence against dangerous criminals, often by giving them new names and homes.
Grammar: Mass noun, often used with a program: be placed in witness protection.
Patterns
- in witness protection
- into witness protection
After testifying against the gang, he was placed in witness protection.
Her family entered witness protection and moved to another state.
The film is about a banker hiding in witness protection.
Common combinations
- witness protection program
- The witness protection program gave her a new identity.
- enter witness protection
- He had to enter witness protection after the trial.
- go into witness protection
- They went into witness protection for their safety.
- leave witness protection
- He left witness protection against advice.
Synonyms and how they differ
- protective custody
- Protective custody means being held securely by authorities, which may be temporary, while witness protection often involves a whole new life.
- safe house
- A safe house is only a hidden place to stay, not the full program.
Word family
- witness noun
- a person who sees or testifies
- protect verb
- to keep safe
- protection noun
- the act of keeping safe
- protected witness noun
- someone covered by such a program
Practice
Why would the police place a trial witness in witness protection?
Choose one answer.
Witness protection exists to shield people who give evidence from retaliation. It is not a reward or training.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “witness protection”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.