eyewitness

noun

eye·​wit·​ness ˈī-ˈwit-nəs 

: one who sees an occurrence or an object

especially : one who gives a report of what has happened

Examples of eyewitness in a Sentence

The police are hoping to locate an eyewitness to the shooting.

He was able to give an eyewitness account of the shooting.

Recent Examples on the Web

But, as is often the case amid the chaos of a violent act, the eyewitness statements sometimes contradicted each other. —Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026

Over the course of the following year, investigators looked at cell phone location data, eyewitness descriptions of the vehicle and suspect, financial records and computer searches to home in on Heuermann, a resident of Massapequa Park, some 15 miles from Gilgo. —Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026

Barocio first appears to wave Delacruz away, then the group walks off camera, where eyewitnesses told police Barocio shot Laredo-Arellano in the mouth. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026

The eyewitness said the falling rocks remained high on the mountainside and did not reach the base or the nearby parking lot. —Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for eyewitness

• fitness
• witness
• unfitness

Kids Definition

eyewitness

noun

eye·​wit·​ness -ˈwit-nəs 

: a person who sees an occurrence and is able to give a report of it

Legal Definition

eyewitness

noun

eye·​wit·​ness

: one who sees an occurrence or object or sometimes experiences it through other senses (as hearing) and usually reports or testifies about it