noun / verb
witness
Someone who sees an event or gives evidence about it, or to see an event happen.
A witness tells the police what happened at the intersection.
Etymology
Witness originally concerned knowledge or testimony. The name transferred to the person whose direct knowledge supports an account of an event.
More examples
- The witness answers the lawyer's questions in court.
- We witness a meteor streak across the night sky.
- Several neighbors witnessed the accident from their windows.
Forms
witness · witnesses · witnessed · witnessing
Similar words
- eyewitness
- Specifically someone who personally saw the event being described.
- observer
- Someone who watches, without necessarily giving evidence about an event.