Meaning & use

witness

noun·Everyday

A person who sees an event happen, or who gives evidence about what they saw, especially in a court of law.

See it in a sentence

The witness described the car speeding through the red light moments before the crash.

They asked a neighbor to act as a witness when they signed the contract.

A note on using this word

As a verb, witness means to see something happen firsthand, as in she witnessed the accident.

Words with a similar meaning

observerbystander

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To see an event happen personally, or to be present as the official observer of a signature or agreement.

Two neighbors agreed to witness the signing of the will that afternoon.

Make it your own

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