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

Detectives said a passerby found the 60-year-old man partially sitting in a wheelchair that was overturned. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026

Another passerby suffered a minor injury after being struck with a bullet fragment that struck a wall. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026

One of them is the aforementioned passerby in the corridor, known here as the Walking Man (Yamato Kochi), who, far from being just a phantom projection, winds up embarking on his own tragic adventure. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026

The exchange, between Emanuel Wilson and a curious passerby, went on for a while. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 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