Meanings
plural bystanders · alternative bye-stander · alternative by-stander
- A person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer, witness, or spectator.
Conservative influencer Nick Sortor is handcuffed Thursday night by a police officer outside an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, a bystander video shows; the video does not show events leading up to the arrest.
2025 October 3, Andy Rose, “Arrest of conservative influencer Nick Sortor outside Portland ICE building now under federal investigation”, in CNN1 more example
If he wins, he will be at liberty, perhaps, to give vent to a laugh, or to pass a remark on the circumstance to a bystander, or to stake again, or to double his stake; but, even this he must do solely out of curiosity, and for the pleasure of watching the play of chances and of calculations, and not because of any vulgar desire to win.
1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter II, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(1867)/II)Synonyms: onlooker
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer, witness, or spectator.
Origin
From by- + stander. Compare passerby.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُتَفَرِّج
- مُتَفَرِّج (mutafarrij)a person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Chinese Mandarin 旁觀者 /旁观者
- 旁觀者 /旁观者 (pángguānzhě)a person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Dutch omstander
- omstandera person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Finnish sivullinen, sivustakatsoja
- sivullinena person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
- sivustakatsojaa person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
French passant, badaud
- passanta person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
- badauda person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
German Zuschauer, Schaulustiger
- Zuschauera person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
- Schaulustigera person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Hungarian bámészkodó, nézelődő
- bámészkodóa person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
- nézelődőa person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Italian astante, convenuto
- astantea person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
- convenutoa person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Polish naoczny świadek
- naoczny świadeka person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Portuguese espectador
- espectadora person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Russian свиде́тель, наблюда́тель
- свиде́тель (svidételʹ)a person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
- наблюда́тель (nabljudátelʹ)a person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
- очеви́дец (očevídec)a person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Spanish curioso
- curiosoa person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Swedish åskådare
- åskådarea person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator
Cite this entry
bystander. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bystander
“bystander.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bystander. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bystander,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bystander.
Source: bystander on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.