Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

witness

[wit-nis]

Example Sentences Origin

verb (used with object)

to see, hear, or know by personal presence and perception: to witness an accident.

to be present at (an occurrence) as a formal witness, spectator, bystander, etc.: She witnessed our wedding.

to bear witness to; testify to; give or afford evidence of.

to attest by one's signature: He witnessed her will.

verb (used without object)

to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Witness is one of our favorite verbs.

So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:

to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.

to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

noun

an individual who, being present, personally sees or perceives a thing; a beholder, spectator, or eyewitness.

a person or thing that affords evidence.

a person who gives testimony, as in a court of law.

a person who signs a document attesting the genuineness of its execution.

10.

testimony or evidence: to bear witness to her suffering.

EXPAND

11.

(initial capital letter) a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 950; (noun) Middle English, Old English witnes orig., knowledge, understanding; see wit¹, -ness; (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun

Related forms

wit·ness·a·ble, adjective

wit·ness·er, noun

pre·wit·ness, noun, verb (used with object)

self-wit·ness, noun

self-wit·nessed, adjective

EXPAND

well-wit·nessed, adjective

COLLAPSE

Synonyms
1. perceive, watch, mark, notice, note. See observe. 10. proof, confirmation, substantiation.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To witness

Example Sentences

The use of material witness warrants in terrorism investigations continues to be shrouded in secrecy.

It is painful to witness professional policemen on a university campus responding to students with such violence.

But a prosecutor can legally offer something of far greater value-his freedom-to a witness who says the opposite.

EXPAND

The use of material witness warrants in terrorism investigations continues to be shrouded in secrecy.

It is painful to witness professional policemen on a university campus responding to students with such violence.

But a prosecutor can legally offer something of far greater value-his freedom-to a witness who says the opposite.

These five men would witness an event that would change the world forever.

In the past many witness statements were dismissed, even by the wise men of their time as anecdotal.

Back then, there was no one to witness either the misery or the bravery of this heroic band.

To plant spring-flowering bulbs is to witness a miraculous transformation.

The defense will also receive copies of the criminal investigation files and witness statements.

He might have changed his advice if he had lived to witness the current debate on globalisation.

Ten people are secretly filmed as they witness what they believe to be a real crime a knife attack in a bar.

Imagine being in the room to witness the genesis of an invention that would profoundly change human civilization.

Occasionally, the public is also invited to witness the release of a rehabilitated animal.

You'll not only see future surfing stars, you'll also witness some of the finest waves in the world.

But his own witness testified there was no scientifically established causal link between file-sharing and diminishing revenues.

Its attacks bear witness to growing ambition and sophistication.

Indeed, he even served as a character witness at the trials of other pirates.

They have invited me down to see their operations and to witness the plant shamanism for myself.

The brilliant court composer and musician is not here to witness this evening's festivities.

Even a partial eclipse is a memorable experience, if you get outside and witness it first hand.

The court disregarded witness statements supporting him and would not let him appeal against his conviction.

They allow us, for the first time, to witness the lives of animals from the animals' own perspectives.

One witness described the smell of wine along the roads in front of wineries.

Watching over the screencasts, one can witness first hand the spontaneity of them.

It is sad to witness the missed opportunities and the lack of direction.

The witness says that he was trained as a child soldier.

Witness the awesome power of nature through incredible footage of devastating storms from around the world.

By varying the flow rate of the apparatus, the observer can witness a.

Our conduct code requires students to report cheating if they witness it.

But then the court comes back from a break, and suddenly the witness seems unsure.

Witness the awesome power of nature through incredible footage from around the world.

We do it often enough ourselves and witness someone else doing it nearly every day.

Guanajuato was also witness to events which changed the history of the country.

What fun it was to witness this pair build the nest and raise their family.

The witness who had allegedly seen the duo turned out to be a heroin addict who gave inconsistent accounts.

Witness the awesome power of nature through incredible footage of eruptions and lava flows from around the world.

Like all law-enforcement officers, they are required to report any criminal activity they witness on the job.

Witness hurricanes tearing off rooftops, destroying entire buildings, and beaching sailboats.

The highlight of this research was really to be able to dive on the reef and witness the beauty of.

Bedford would change his mind about doing business with the couple based on their fraud conviction, the witness replied:.

The film, which weds gritty realism with the dreamworld of the ballet, is an unreliable witness.

Witness this moving encounter in this video production.

We have indeed been fortunate to witness the speed of this animal going after a herd of deer.

Taylor's knowledge of the brain made her the perfect witness to her body's gradual shutdown.

Witness an amazing transformation of the first dinosaur to a creature that was both bird and dinosaur.

Witness the emoticon's lasting impact, and smile if you can.

Another witness claimed to have seen the whole incident.

We waited a long time to witness the rearing of a young cub.

It is life changing to witness first hand the intelligence and gentle nature of the orangutans.

To witness their epic battle, you'll have to watch a chunk of the second to last episode, but it's worth the wait:.

It insists that the plant will be safe and warns that the safety board has no authority to investigate possible witness tampering.

Beaches worldwide bear witness to the ugly impact of plastic debris on our oceans.

Viewers can witness someone else's system crashing and files being corrupted, in real time, as if it were a creepy performance.

Being a witness to such spectacles of nature made all the hard work and discomfort worthwhile.

It's fun and inspiring to witness what other people will see at the same event.

Be a part of a daring team and witness the unforgettable power of the earth.

The government had fought to keep the witness conduct a secret from the jury.

Witness the sculpted horizons of the southwest, where man-made boundaries mean nothing to the rugged lands.

Let's light this fire one more time, and witness this great nation at its best.

But it's the only way to witness the energy packed by some of the world's fastest water.

Getting to witness them work their magic and comedy, both performing the tricks and explaining many of them, is a treat.

While it was sad to lose the marlin playing witness to nature in the raw is nothing short of spectacular.

Witness the text messages of freedom literally flutter free from insurgent cell phones.

Witness science in action through lively stories from the front lines of ocean science.

The men were immediately swarmed by motorists from a nearby highway who happened to witness the historic touchdown.

Witness an ongoing scientific study that shows how skin is important to attraction through chemistry.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

witness (ˈwɪtnɪs)

—n
1.	a person who has seen or can give first-hand evidence of some event
2.	a person or thing giving or serving as evidence
3.	a person who testifies, esp in a court of law, to events or facts within his own knowledge
4.	a person who attests to the genuineness of a document, signature, etc, by adding his own signature
5.	bear witness
	a. to give written or oral testimony
	b. to be evidence or proof ofRelated: testimonial

—vb
6.	(tr) to see, be present at, or know at first hand
7.	to give or serve as evidence (of)
8.	(tr) to be the scene or setting of: this field has witnessed a battle
9.	(intr) to testify, esp in a court of law, to events within a person's own knowledge
10.	(tr) to attest to the genuineness of (a document, signature, etc) by adding one's own signature

Related: testimonial

[Old English witnes (meaning both testimony and witness), from witan to know, wit² + -ness; related to Old Norse vitni]

'witnessable

—*adj*

'witnesser

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

witness

O.E. witnes "attestation of fact, event, etc., from personal knowledge;" also "one who so testifies;" originally "knowledge, wit," formed from wit (n.) + -ness. The verb is c.1300, from the noun. Christian use (1382) is as a lit. translation of Gk.

EXPAND

martys (see martyr). Witness stand is recorded from 1853.

COLLAPSE

Easton

Bible Dictionary

Witness definition

More than one witness was required in criminal cases (Deut. 17:6; 19:15). They were the first to execute the sentence on the condemned (Deut. 13:9; 17:7; 1 Kings 21:13; Matt. 27:1; Acts 7:57, 58). False witnesses were liable to punishment (Deut. 19:16-21). It was also an offence to refuse to bear witness (Lev. 5:1).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source

Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

Searching for witness?
How many words do you actually know?

FIND OUT

alienist anatomically correct authority bind call Catholic

Matching Quote

"Someone said: "There are two people to whom I have never given a lot of thought: that bears witness to my love for them.""

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help