Witness Definition

wĭtnĭs
witnessed, witnesses, witnessing
noun
witnesses
A person who saw, or can give a firsthand account of, something.
Webster's New World
A person who testifies in court.
Webster's New World
An attesting of a fact, statement, etc.; evidence; testimony.
Webster's New World
A person called upon to observe a transaction, signing, etc. in order to testify concerning it if it is later held in question.
Webster's New World
One who signs one's name to a document for the purpose of attesting to its authenticity.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
verb
witnessed, witnesses, witnessing
To give, or serve as, evidence; testify.
Webster's New World
To testify to.
Webster's New World
To be present at; see personally.
Webster's New World
To consider as an example. Often used in the imperative.
Even a widespread species can go extinct. Witness the passenger pigeon.
American Heritage
To act as witness of, often, in proof thereof, signing a statement that one has done so.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
idiom
bear witness
  • to be or give evidence; testify
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Witness

Noun

Singular:
witness
Plural:
witnesses

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Witness

Origin of Witness

  • From Middle English witnesse, from Old English witnes (“knowledge, witness, testimony, a witness"), equivalent to wit +"Ž -ness. Cognate with Middle Dutch wetenisse (“witness, testimony"), Old High German gewiznessi (“testimony").

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old English from wit knowledge wit1

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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