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

An injured woman's sudden disappearance from the hospital leads to a murder investigation; as an eyewitness to the crime, Brady partners with Benson's SVU to unravel a complex motive; an explosive discovery puts both squads in danger. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 2026

Over 60 years later, lengthy investigations, detailed eyewitness accounts and extensive digs haven't yielded more information. —Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026

In their case, a sole eyewitness tied the teenagers to the abduction. —Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

Around 200 people were inside the venue on New Year’s Eve, according to eyewitnesses, ready to celebrate 2026 with music, drinks and dancing. —Kara Fox, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 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