eyewitness

noun

eye·​wit·​ness ˈī-ˈwit-nəs 

: one who sees an occurrence or an object

especially : one who gives a report on what he or she has seen

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

The investigation included interviews with Lorincz, Owens’ children and other eyewitnesses to the shooting. —Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025

Officials say there were no survivors inside the facility, depriving investigators of crucial eyewitness accounts of the final moments leading up to the explosion. —Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025

The report, which serves as an update to a 2024 analysis of the war’s environmental and humanitarian impacts, relies on research from international organizations like the United Nations and World Health Organization, along with eyewitness accounts from aid workers. —Simmone Shah, Time, 15 Oct. 2025

An eyewitness told the outlet that the duo enjoyed cocktails and shared several dishes together, including one with lobster. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025

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