witness
someone who sees an event and reports what happened
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,948 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 9,236 times across 175,160 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- someone who sees an event and reports what happened also: witnesser, informant
- a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind) also: spectator, viewer, watcher, looker the spectators applauded the performancetelevision viewers
- testimony by word or deed to your religious faith
- (law) a person who attests to the genuineness of a document or signature by adding their own signature also: attestant, attestor, attestator
- (law) a person who testifies under oath in a court of law
verb
- be a witness to She witnessed the accident and had to testify in court
- perceive or be contemporaneous with also: find, see We found Republicans winning the officesYou'll see a lot of cheating in this school
witness in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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How much have you had to pay for this new witness, uncle?
An Egyptian Princess — Volume 07 · Georg Ebers · Chapter 1
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From this eminence they could witness the progress of the chase, as it continued in the valley beyond.
Windsor Castle · William Harrison Ainsworth · Chapter 1
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I wish Ned Newton, or Mr. Damon were here to be a witness in case he starts anything.
Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera · Victor Appleton · Chapter 1
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First, snubbed sharply by the fair Cordelia; then, having to witness her ineffectual attempts to detach Lord Luffton from Miss Trumpet.
The Reflections of Ambrosine: A Novel · Elinor Glyn · Chapter 1
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Witness the tears that Isabella sheds, Witness this heart, that, sighing for thee, breaks, How dear my lord is to poor Isabel!
Edward the Second · Christopher Marlowe · Chapter 1