character witness

noun

: a person who gives evidence in a legal action concerning the reputation, conduct, and moral nature of a party

Examples of character witness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The news of his arrest shook the town — prompting members of the North Platte School Board, church trustees, former teachers, a nurse practitioner and family members to write character witness letters asking the judge for leniency in his case. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026

Short's outrage stemmed from an assistant football coach and the head of the football booster organization testifying as character witnesses for Isaac Smith, who was convicted of murdering his daughter, Karli Short, and his unborn grandchild in 2021. — Michael Guise, CBS News, 24 June 2026

The prosecution presented witnesses and dozens of exhibits; Roundtree called only three character witnesses and introduced a single exhibit—Crump himself. — Joan Hibler, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Mar. 2026

Through a series of questions, the prosecutor asked Serafini did his attorneys inform him that calling up character witnesses would give the prosecution a chance to call up witnesses who would contradict their testimony? — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1832, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for character witness

• eyewitness
• unfitness
• fitness

Legal Definition

character witness

see also:

witness