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witness

n. · v.
US //ˈwɪtnəs// UK //wˈɪtnəs// wit·ness
  1. 1 person who sees an event (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    someone who sees an event happen, especially a crime or an accident.

    an individual who personally observes an event, typically a significant or traumatic occurrence.

    Example

    Police are asking any witnesses to the accident to come forward.

    Example

    Several witnesses provided conflicting accounts of the altercation, making it difficult for the investigators to determine who had initiated the violence.
  2. 2 legal testimony (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    a person who gives evidence in a court of law.

    a person called to provide testimony or evidence under oath in a judicial proceeding.

    Example

    The witness was nervous as she stood up to answer the lawyer's questions.

    Example

    The prosecution called a surprise witness whose testimony directly contradicted the defendant's alibi for the night in question.
    • deponent
    • testifier
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  1. 3 official observer (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    someone who watches a formal event, like a wedding or the signing of a document, to prove it happened.

    a person present at a formal transaction or ceremony to attest to its authenticity.

    Example

    You need two witnesses to sign the contract for it to be valid.

    Example

    The solicitor acted as a witness during the signing of the will to ensure all legal requirements were strictly followed.
  2. 4 to see something happen (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to see something happen with your own eyes.

    to observe an event or development personally; often used for historical or significant occurrences.

    Example

    The city has witnessed many changes over the last fifty years.

    Example

    Few people have witnessed such a dramatic transformation in the local economy within a single generation.
  3. 5 to sign a document (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

    to watch someone sign a legal document and then sign it yourself to prove it is real.

    to attest to the genuineness of a signature or document by adding one's own signature as an observer.

    Example

    The bank manager witnessed my signature on the loan application.

    Example

    The deed must be witnessed by an independent party who has no financial interest in the property being transferred.
  4. 6 to show or prove (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Literary

    to be a sign or proof of something.

    to serve as evidence or a clear sign of a particular quality or fact.

    Example

    His success witnesses his hard work and dedication to the project.

    Example

    The crumbling ruins witness the former grandeur of an empire that once dominated the entire Mediterranean basin.
Origin

From Middle English witnesse, from Old English ġewitnes, equivalent to wit + -ness. Cognate with Middle Dutch wetenisse (“witness, testimony”), Old High German gewiznessi (“testimony”), Icelandic vitni (“witness”).

Word family

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