passerby

noun

pass·​er·​by ˌpa-sər-ˈbī 

ˈpa-sər-ˌbī

plural passersby ˌpa-sərz-ˈbī 

ˈpa-sərz-ˌbī

: one who passes by

A passerby saw the accident and offered to help.

Examples of passerby in a Sentence

A passerby saw the accident and stopped to help.

Passersby were asked if they were registered to vote.

Recent Examples on the Web

At one point, a passerby shouted and gestured at protesters, drawing a response from some in the crowd. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026

After being approached by a Courier Journal reporter, a passerby walked up to embrace him. —Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Mar. 2026

The South Florida man, who bears more than a striking resemblance to Jeffrey Epstein, was cruising down I-95 in his convertible about a week ago when a passerby whipped out his phone. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026

Today, the idea of turning any random passerby into an amateur botanist may not seem extraordinary. —Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

passerby

noun

pass·​er·​by ˌpas-ər-ˈbī 

plural passersby ˌpas-ərz- 

: one who passes by