witness

noun wit·ness \ ˈwit-nəs \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: witness in a Sentence

Definition of witness

1 : attestation of a fact or event : testimony

2 : one that gives evidence; specifically : one who testifies in a cause or before a judicial tribunal

3 : one asked to be present at a transaction so as to be able to testify to its having taken place

4 : one who has personal knowledge of something

5 a : something serving as evidence or proof : sign

b : public affirmation by word or example of usually religious faith or conviction

the heroic witness to divine life
—Pilot

6 capitalized : a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses

See witness defined for English-language learners

See witness defined for kids

Examples of witness in a Sentence

The defense called its first witness to the stand.
a witness for the defense
His aunt and uncle were witnesses at his baptism.
There must be two witnesses present when she signs the document.

Recent Examples of witness from the Web

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media and the witnesses for fear of reprisals.

— NBC News, "Saudi-led forces seize airport in Yemen port city of Hodeida," 16 June 2018
The walls, once witness to boisterous family dinners, barbecues, birthday, pool and slumber parties, became painted in grief.

— linda wolff, latimes.com, "More than 30 years later, a visit to the old home where kids played and Dad used to smoke his pipe," 16 June 2018
In some ways, the Warriors are still getting used to Durant co-existing alongside Curry — witness awkward jokes from Myers and broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald at Tuesday’s parade — but the transition clearly has worked.

— ron kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "Warriors dynasty defined: Before KD, and after KD," 16 June 2018
Earlier this week, police said, a witness came forward who said Jimmy Torres had confessed.

— charles rabin, miamiherald, "Human parts in box by canal are missing Miami woman, cops suspect. Husband jailed," 15 June 2018
Raw video: John Garcia witness to the shooting at the Wyandotte County courthouse Advertisement Emergency personnel responded to the Wyandotte County courthouse in Kansas City, Kan. on reports of two deputies being shot.

— lynn horsley, steve vockrodt and andy marso, kansascity, "One Wyandotte County deputy killed, one critical in shooting near KCK courthouse," 15 June 2018
The two witnesses were not identified in the filing.

— alana abramson, Time, "Former Trump Campaign Head Paul Manafort Is Going to Jail While Awaiting Trial," 15 June 2018
The incident garnered unusual attention after one of the cellphone videos taken by a witnesses was broadcast on Fox 6 News.

— jim riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fight that was caught on video at Waukesha Burger King results in disorderly conduct charge against local woman," 15 June 2018
The pair is accused of urging witnesses to say that lobbying by a group of former European officials, secretly paid and directed by Manafort, occurred only in Europe, not the US.

— peter grier, The Christian Science Monitor, "Paul Manafort goes to jail: Three questions," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'witness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of witness

Middle English witnesse, from Old English witnes knowledge, testimony, witness, from ²wit

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

witness Synonyms

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

witness

verb

Definition of witness

witnessed; witnessing; witnesses

transitive verb

1 : to testify to : attest

2 : to act as legal witness of

3 : to furnish proof of : betoken

4 a : to have personal or direct cognizance of : see for oneself

witnessed the historic event

b : to take note of

our grammar— witness our verb system—is a marvel of flexibility, variety, and exactitude
—Charlton Laird

5 : to constitute the scene or time of

structures … which this striking Dorset hilltop once witnessed
—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

1 : to bear witness : testify

2 : to bear witness to one's religious convictions

opportunity to witness for Christ
—Billy Graham

See witness defined for English-language learners

Examples of witness in a Sentence

Several people witnessed the accident.
We are witnessing a historic moment.
He witnessed the signing of her will.

Recent Examples of witness from the Web

Anyone who witnessed or has information about the 7 a.m. collision is encouraged to contact the Woodland CHP Office at 530-662-4685.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Corvette in flames and a 10-car crash: Chaotic morning on I-5 near Woodland," 16 June 2018
Phil Handler, a spokesman for the BASIS national charter network, said no one who witnessed the incident felt threatened by the students’ remarks.

— perry stein, Washington Post, "A D.C. school had a lockdown. This is the conversation that prompted it.," 16 June 2018
For 10 solid minutes, the capacity crowd of 90,000 who witnessed history’s 12th Triple Crown winner people kept clapping, screaming and weeping, a moment the sport had long awaited and arguably needed.

— dan wolken, USA TODAY, "Three years after Triple Crown win, American Pharoah didn't turn around racing's fortunes," 4 June 2018
The performance endures, both in the living memories of those who witnessed it, and in a second life on grainy video, receding through time but growing more mythic.

— tim layden, SI.com, "Remembering Chic Anderson’s Legendary Call of Secretariat’s Record Run at 1973 Belmont Stakes," 4 June 2018
Authorities urge anyone who witnessed or has information about the crash to contact Traffic Homicide Investigator Dennis Castro at 561-732-8116.

— tonya alanez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Woman, 79, struck and killed while crossing road," 3 June 2018
That view is echoed by someone who witnessed a lot of that history firsthand.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "'On Your Feet,' a musical about Gloria Estefan, to make Baltimore stop," 1 June 2018
Yet anyone who witnessed Grizzly Bear’s previous appearance at the Middle of the Map Fest in 2013 knows that the ensemble isn’t a run-of-the-mill indie-rock band content to go through the motions.

— bill brownlee, kansascity, "Middle of Map Fest: Grizzly Bear to light up Crown Center stage," 1 June 2018
Many who witnessed the scene, which occurred after Alabama’s third offensive play of the 2015 opener at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, assumed the senior had suffered a concussion.

— jeff potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "University of Wisconsin part of major study on concussions in sports," 30 May 2018

First Known Use of witness

14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

witness Synonyms

Synonyms

behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view;

Near Antonyms

disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over;

miss, overlook;

Related Words

identify, make out, pick out, pick up;

attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind;

study, watch;

examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey;

glance (at), glimpse, peer (at);

Phrases

get a load of [slang], lay eyes on, set eyes on;

Synonym Discussion of witness

certify, attest, witness, vouch mean to testify to the truth or genuineness of something. certify usually applies to a written statement, especially one carrying a signature or seal.

- certified that the candidate had met all requirements

attest applies to oral or written testimony usually from experts or witnesses.

- attested to the authenticity of the document

witness applies to the subscribing of one's own name to a document as evidence of its genuineness.

- witnessed the signing of the will

vouch applies to one who testifies as a competent authority or a reliable person.

- willing to vouch for her integrity

WITNESS Defined for English Language Learners

witness

noun

Definition of witness for English Language Learners

: a person who sees something (such as a crime) happen
law : a person who makes a statement in a court about what he or she knows or has seen
: a person who is present at an event (such as a wedding) and can say that it happened

witness

verb

Definition of witness for English Language Learners

: to see (something) happen
law : to be present at (an event) in order to be able to say that it happened : to act as a legal witness of (something)
: to be the time or place when (something) happens

WITNESS Defined for Kids

witness

noun wit·ness \ ˈwit-nəs \

Definition of witness for Students

1 : a person who sees or otherwise has personal knowledge of something

witnesses of an accident

2 : a person who gives testimony in court

3 : a person who is present at an action (as the signing of a will) so as to be able to say who did it

4 : testimony

He gave false witness in court.

witness

verb

Definition of witness for Students

witnessed; witnessing

1 : to see or gain personal knowledge of something

2 : to act as a witness to I witnessed the signing of the will.

3 : to be or give proof of

Their actions witness their guilt.

Law Dictionary

witness

noun wit·ness

legal Definition of witness

1 a : attestation of a fact or event

in witness whereof the parties have executed this release

b : evidence (as of the authenticity of a conveyance by deed) furnished by signature, oath, or seal

2 : one who gives evidence regarding matters of fact under inquiry; specifically : one who testifies or is legally qualified to testify in a case or to give evidence before a judicial tribunal or similar inquiry

a witness before a congressional committee

no person…shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself
—U.S. Constitution amend. V

— compare affiant, deponent

— adverse witness

: a witness who is called by or associated with an opposing party or who by statement, conduct, or other evidence (as of relationship) shows bias against or is injurious to the case of the party by whom the witness is called

sought to have his witness declared an adverse witness subject to impeachment

— called also hostile witness; see also leading question at question 1

— alibi witness

: a witness upon whom a criminal defendant relies in establishing an alibi

— character witness

: a witness who testifies as to the character or reputation especially of a criminal defendant : a witness who gives character evidence

— expert witness

: a witness (as a medical specialist) who by virtue of special knowledge, skill, training, or experience is qualified to provide testimony to aid the factfinder in matters that exceed the common knowledge of ordinary people

— hostile witness

: adverse witness in this entry

— lay witness

: a witness who is not an expert witness

— material witness

: a witness whose testimony is necessary for trial and whose presence may sometimes be secured by the state by subpoena, custody, or recognizance

— prosecuting witness

: a witness (as the victim of a crime) whose own allegations initiate the prosecution of the defendant

— qualified witness

: a witness who has sufficient understanding of a record-keeping system to provide testimony that forms the proper foundation for admission of evidence under the business records exception to the hearsay rule

— rebuttal witness

: a witness called upon to rebut evidence already presented

3 : one who is called on to be present at a transaction so as to be able to testify to its occurrence; specifically : one who sees the execution of an instrument and signs it to confirm its authenticity

a witness to a will

4 : eyewitness

a witness to an assault

— bear witness

: to furnish or constitute proof or evidence

Origin and Etymology of witness

Old English witnes knowledge, testimony, witness, from wit mind, sense, knowledge

witness

transitive verb

legal Definition of witness

1 : to furnish evidence or proof of

2 : to act as witness of: as

a : to see the execution of (an instrument) and sign for the purpose of establishing authenticity

witness a will

b : to be formally present as a witness of (as a transaction or the execution of a convict)

3 a : to see or experience directly

b : to take note of

intransitive verb

: to bear witness : give evidence

witness

adjective

legal Definition of witness

: being an object or location used to ascertain a precise boundary point especially on a corner of a tract when marking that point itself is impracticable or impossible