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witness - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'witness' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Witness [ v. i.]
- Attestation of a fact or an event; testimony.
- That which furnishes evidence or proof.
- One who is cognizant; a person who beholds, or otherwise has personal knowledge of, anything; as, an eyewitness; an earwitness.
- One who testifies in a cause, or gives evidence before a judicial tribunal; as, the witness in court agreed in all essential facts.
- One who sees the execution of an instrument, and subscribes it for the purpose of confirming its authenticity by his testimony; one who witnesses a will, a deed, a marriage, or the like.
- To bear testimony; to give evidence; to testify.
2 . Witness [ v. t.]
- To see or know by personal presence; to have direct cognizance of.
- To give testimony to; to testify to; to attest.
- To see the execution of, as an instrument, and subscribe it for the purpose of establishing its authenticity; as, to witness a bond or a deed.

Meaning of 'witness' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . witness [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
Example in sentence:
  • sky watchers discovered a new star;
  • television viewers;
  • the spectators applauded the performance
2 . witness [ v]
Meaning (2):
- perceive or be contemporaneous with
Example in sentence:
  • I want to see results;
  • The 1960's saw the rebellion of the younger generation against established traditions;
  • We found Republicans winning the offices;
  • You'll see a lot of cheating in this school
Meaning (3):
- be a witness to
Example in sentence:
  • She witnessed the accident and had to testify in court

Nearby Words:

wit wit-cracker wit-snapper wit-starved witch witch-elm witch-hazel witch-tree witchcraft witched

See 'witness' also in:

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Related Definitions

  • Eyewitness testimony
    Eyewitness testimony is a term used in forensic psychology for the factors that influence the fullness and accuracy of eyewitness accounts of a given event.

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