Meanings
witness1
nounwitness (countable and uncountable, plural witnesses)
plural witnesses · alternative obsolete witnesse · alternative obsolete witneße
- uncountableAttestation of a fact or event; testimony.
She can bear witness, since she was there at the time.
5 more examples
May we, with the warrant of womanhood and the witness of a good conscience, pursue him with any further revenge?
c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]We have as much witness from heaven as we need.
1959, Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of holy scripture, volume 6On another corner, stands an old style tenement building, whose dirty grey facade bears as much witness to the volume of exhaust fumes from millions of passing cars as it does to the age of the dwelling.
1999, Nettie Becker, Paul Becker, A Comprehensive Guide for Caregivers in Day-care SettingsNor do the formation and articulation of such knowledge themselves bear much witness to Geist.
2002, Charles E. Scott, The Lives of Things, page 125Fleeing is giving witness, and those that plead against it are loath to give so much witness
2008, Jeremiah Burroughs, C. Matthew McMahon, Therese B. McMahon, The Excellency of Holy Courage in Evil Times, page 100 - countableOne who sees or has personal knowledge of something.
As a witness to the event, I can confirm that he really said that.
3 more examples
[…]thyself art witness— I am betrothed.
c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]Upon my looking round, I was a witness to appearances which filled me with melancholy and regret.
c. 1786, Robert Hall, A ReverieJoolby saw that Mr. Bronsky had looked in by another door and been a witness of the last stage of the quarrel
1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London - countablelawSomeone called to give evidence in a court.
The witness for the prosecution did not seem very credible.
1 more example
From the evidence of witnesses and of the recorded passing times, including the time at which the circuit breakers were tripped when the wires were brought down, the train was travelling at a speed of not less than 70 m.p.h.
1961 November, “Talking of Trains: Derailment near Holmes Chapel”, in Trains Illustrated, page 652 - countableSomething that serves as evidence; a sign or token.
Laban said to Jacob, […] This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 31:51-521 more example
The bishop [Isidore] was, as far as I am aware, the first off many writers who have appealed to fossil shells imbedded in remote mountains as witnesses to the truth of the Noachian tradition.
1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 159 - countableuncountablehuman sciencesA particular version of a text (seen as providing testimony of archetype or other earlier version)
Yet there are extremely few, if any, cases of preserved autographs, and textual witnesses (manuscripts) rather distant in time from the creation of the texts are the norm.
2020, Alessandro Bausi, “7.5 Philological practices: Ethiopic”, in Philipp Roelli, editor, Handbook of Stemmatology: History, Methodology, Digital Approaches, De Gruyter, →DOI, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 481 - countablecomputingAn additional database server instance used in failover scenarios to decide whether the mirror should take over.
Automatic failover requires a witness, either a file share or a SQL Server witness (SQL Server Express may be used as a witness).
2016, Vlad Catrinescu, Trevor Seward, Deploying SharePoint 2016 (page 350)
verbwitness (third-person singular simple present witnesses, present participle witnessing, simple past and past participle witnessed)
present singular third person witnesses · participle present witnessing · participle past witnessed · past witnessed · alternative obsolete witnesse · alternative obsolete witneße
- transitiveTo furnish proof of, to show.
This certificate witnesses his presence on that day.
1 more example
round he throws his baleful eyes / That witness'd huge affliction and dismay
1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 56-57 - transitiveTo take as evidence.
Depression often goes undetected until it is too late . Witness the recent White House suicide.
1993, Vicki M. Pino, “Viewpoints from our Readers after "Aprongate": Lighten up”, in Atlanta Journal Constitution - transitiveTo see or gain knowledge of through experience.
He witnessed the accident.
3 more examples
This is but a faint sketch of the incalculable calamities and horrors we must expect, should we be so unfortunate as ever to witness the triumph of modern infidelity
1801, Robert Hall, On Modern InfidelityGeneral Washington did not live to witness the restoration of peace.
1803, John Marshall, The Life of George WashingtonIn 1825, the first public railway carried passengers across the English countryside, setting in motion not just an engineering revolution, but an industrial one too. Imagine the awe and excitement of those first passengers as they boarded the train, unaware that they were witnessing the dawn of a new era.
2025 October 1, Richard Evans, “The value of the railway effect”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 58 - intransitiveTo present personal religious testimony; to preach at (someone) or on behalf of.
Instead, Niebuhr's God was the God witnessed to in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, the Bible of the Christian world.
1998, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, volume 6, "Niebuhr, Reinhold", page 842 - To see the execution of (a legal instrument), and subscribe it for the purpose of establishing its authenticity.
to witness a bond or a deed
Witness2
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
nounsomeone who sees an event and reports what happened
nouna close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
Broader
noun(law) a person who attests to the genuineness of a document or signature by adding their own signature
Similar
verbperceive or be contemporaneous with
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishġewitnes
- Middle Englishwitnesse
- Englishwitness
From Middle English witnesse, from Old English ġewitnes, equivalent to wit + -ness. Cognate with Middle Dutch wetenisse (“witness, testimony”), Old High German gewiznessi (“testimony”), Icelandic vitni (“witness”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans getuie, getuie
- getuieone who has a personal knowledge of something
- getuiesomeone called to give evidence in a court
Ancient Greek μάρτυς, μάρτυς
- μάρτυς (mártus)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- μάρτυς (mártus)someone called to give evidence in a court
Arabic شَهَادَة, شَاهِد
- شَهَادَة (šahāda)attestation of a fact or event
- شَاهِد (šāhid)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- شَاهِدَة (šāhida)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- شَهِيد (šahīd)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- شَهِيدَة (šahīda)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- شَاهِد (šāhid)someone called to give evidence in a court
- شَاهِدَة (šāhida)someone called to give evidence in a court
- شَاهِد (šāhid)something that serves as evidence
- شَوَاهِد (šawāhid)something that serves as evidence
- شَهِدَ (šahida)(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Bengali সাক্ষী, সাক্ষী
- সাক্ষী (śakkhi)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- সাক্ষী (śakkhi)someone called to give evidence in a court
Bulgarian свиде́телство, свиде́тел
- свиде́телство (svidételstvo)attestation of a fact or event
- свиде́тел (svidétel)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- свиде́телка (svidételka)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- очеви́дец (očevídec)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- све́док (svédok)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- свиде́тел (svidétel)someone called to give evidence in a court
- свиде́телка (svidételka)someone called to give evidence in a court
- очеви́дец (očevídec)someone called to give evidence in a court
- све́док (svédok)someone called to give evidence in a court
- доказателство (dokazatelstvo)something that serves as evidence
- свидетелствам (svidetelstvam)(transitive) to furnish proof of
Catalan testimoni, testimoniatge
- testimoniattestation of a fact or event
- testimoniatgeattestation of a fact or event
- atestat (accident de cotxe)attestation of a fact or event
- testimonione who has a personal knowledge of something
- testimonisomeone called to give evidence in a court
- provasomething that serves as evidence
- evidènciasomething that serves as evidence
- testificar(transitive) to furnish proof of
- provar(transitive) to take as evidence
- veure(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- contemplar(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- testificar(intransitive) to preach presenting personal testimony
Chinese Mandarin 證人 /证人, 證人 /证人
- 證人 /证人 (zhèngrén)attestation of a fact or event
- 證人 /证人 (zhèngrén)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- 見證人 /见证人 (jiànzhèngrén)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- 目擊者 /目击者 (mùjīzhě)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- 證人 /证人 (zhèngrén)someone called to give evidence in a court
Czech svědectví, svědek
- svědectvíattestation of a fact or event
- svědekone who has a personal knowledge of something
- svědkyněone who has a personal knowledge of something
- svědeksomeone called to give evidence in a court
- svědkyněsomeone called to give evidence in a court
Danish vidne, vidne
- vidneone who has a personal knowledge of something
- vidnesomeone called to give evidence in a court
Dutch getuigenis, getuige
- getuigenisattestation of a fact or event
- getuigeone who has a personal knowledge of something
- getuigesomeone called to give evidence in a court
Esperanto atestanto, atesti
- atestantoone who has a personal knowledge of something
- atesti(transitive) to furnish proof of
Estonian tunnistaja
- tunnistajasomeone called to give evidence in a court
Finnish todistus, todistaja
- todistusattestation of a fact or event
- todistajaone who has a personal knowledge of something
- todistajasomeone called to give evidence in a court
- todistesomething that serves as evidence
- todistaa(transitive) to furnish proof of
- todistaa(transitive) to take as evidence
- osoittaa(transitive) to take as evidence
- todistaa(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- todistaa(intransitive) to preach presenting personal testimony
French témoignage, témoin
- témoignageattestation of a fact or event
- témoinone who has a personal knowledge of something
- témoinsomeone called to give evidence in a court
- preuvesomething that serves as evidence
- témoigner(transitive) to furnish proof of
German Zeugnis, Zeuge
- Zeugnisattestation of a fact or event
- Zeugeone who has a personal knowledge of something
- Zeuginone who has a personal knowledge of something
- Zeugesomeone called to give evidence in a court
- Zeuginsomeone called to give evidence in a court
- bezeugen(transitive) to furnish proof of
- Zeuge sein(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Greek μάρτυρας, μάρτυρας
- μάρτυρας (mártyras)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- μάρτυρας (mártyras)someone called to give evidence in a court
Hebrew עֵד, עֵד
- עֵד (ed)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- עֵד (ed)someone called to give evidence in a court
Hindi गवाही, साक्ष्य
- गवाही (gavāhī)attestation of a fact or event
- साक्ष्य (sākṣya)attestation of a fact or event
- गवाह (gavāh)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- साक्षी (sākṣī)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- गवाह (gavāh)someone called to give evidence in a court
- साक्षी (sākṣī)someone called to give evidence in a court
- प्रत्यक्षदर्शी (pratyakṣadarśī)someone called to give evidence in a court
- साक्ष्य (sākṣya)something that serves as evidence
Hungarian tanúság, tanúságtétel
- tanúságattestation of a fact or event
- tanúságtételattestation of a fact or event
- szemtanúone who has a personal knowledge of something
- fültanúone who has a personal knowledge of something
- tanúsomeone called to give evidence in a court
- tanúsít(transitive) to furnish proof of
- tanúskodik(transitive) to furnish proof of
- tanúja(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- szemtanúja(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- tanúságot tesz(intransitive) to preach presenting personal testimony
Icelandic vottur
- votturone who has a personal knowledge of something
Indonesian saksi
- saksiattestation of a fact or event
Irish fianaise, fianaise
- fianaiseattestation of a fact or event
- fianaiseone who has a personal knowledge of something
- finnéone who has a personal knowledge of something
- fianaisesomeone called to give evidence in a court
- finnésomeone called to give evidence in a court
Italian testimonianza, testimone
- testimonianzaattestation of a fact or event
- testimoneone who has a personal knowledge of something
- testimonesomeone called to give evidence in a court
- provasomething that serves as evidence
- testimoniare(transitive) to furnish proof of
- constatare(transitive) to take as evidence
- essere testimone(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- assistere(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Japanese 証人, 証
- 証人 (shōnin)attestation of a fact or event
- 証 (akashi)attestation of a fact or event
- 目撃者 (mokugekisha)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- 証人 (shōnin)someone called to give evidence in a court
- 目撃者 (mokugekisha)someone called to give evidence in a court
- 目撃する (mokugeki suru)(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Korean 증인, 목격자
- 증인 (jeung'in)attestation of a fact or event
- 목격자 (mokgyeokja)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- 증인 (jeung'in)someone called to give evidence in a court
- 목격자 (mokgyeokja)someone called to give evidence in a court
- 입증하다 (ipjeunghada)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- 목격하다 (mokgyeokhada)(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Latin testimōnium, testis
- testimōniumattestation of a fact or event
- testisone who has a personal knowledge of something
- experior(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Latvian liecinieks
- lieciniekssomeone called to give evidence in a court
Lithuanian liudytojas
- liudytojassomeone called to give evidence in a court
Malay saksi
- saksisomeone called to give evidence in a court
Māori kaititiro, kaiwhakaatu
- kaititiroone who has a personal knowledge of something
- kaiwhakaatusomeone called to give evidence in a court
- kaitaunakisomeone called to give evidence in a court
- mataara(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Norwegian Bokmål vitne, vitne
- vitneone who has a personal knowledge of something
- vitnesomeone called to give evidence in a court
Persian گواهی, شاهد
- گواهی (gavāhī)attestation of a fact or event
- شاهد (šâhed)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- گواه (govâh)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- شاهد (šâhed)someone called to give evidence in a court
- گواه (govâh)someone called to give evidence in a court
Polish świadectwo, świadek
- świadectwoattestation of a fact or event
- świadekone who has a personal knowledge of something
- świadeksomeone called to give evidence in a court
Portuguese testemunho, testemunha
- testemunhoattestation of a fact or event
- testemunhaone who has a personal knowledge of something
- testemunhasomeone called to give evidence in a court
- provasomething that serves as evidence
- testemunhar(transitive) to furnish proof of
- testemunhar(transitive) to take as evidence
- presenciar(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- testemunhar(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Romanian martor, martoră
- martorone who has a personal knowledge of something
- martorăone who has a personal knowledge of something
- martorsomeone called to give evidence in a court
- martorăsomeone called to give evidence in a court
Russian свиде́тельство, свиде́тель
- свиде́тельство (svidételʹstvo)attestation of a fact or event
- свиде́тель (svidételʹ)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- свиде́тельница (svidételʹnica)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- очеви́дец (očevídec)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- свиде́тель (svidételʹ)someone called to give evidence in a court
- свиде́тельница (svidételʹnica)someone called to give evidence in a court
- понято́й (ponjatój)someone called to give evidence in a court
- понята́я (ponjatája)someone called to give evidence in a court
- очеви́дец (očevídec)someone called to give evidence in a court
- свиде́тельствовать (svidételʹstvovatʹ)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- подтвержда́ть (podtverždátʹ)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- подтверди́ть (podtverdítʹ)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- быть свиде́телем (bytʹ svidételem)(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Scottish Gaelic fianais, neach-fianais
- fianaisattestation of a fact or event
- neach-fianaisone who has a personal knowledge of something
- neach-fianaissomeone called to give evidence in a court
- fianaissomething that serves as evidence
Slovak svedectvo, svedok
- svedectvoattestation of a fact or event
- svedokone who has a personal knowledge of something
- svedkyňaone who has a personal knowledge of something
- svedoksomeone called to give evidence in a court
- svedkyňasomeone called to give evidence in a court
Spanish testimonio, testigo
- testimonioattestation of a fact or event
- testigoone who has a personal knowledge of something
- testigosomeone called to give evidence in a court
- pruebasomething that serves as evidence
- testigosomething that serves as evidence
- testificar(transitive) to furnish proof of
- probar(transitive) to take as evidence
- atestiguar(transitive) to take as evidence
- presenciar(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- ser testigo de(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- ver(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
- testificar(intransitive) to preach presenting personal testimony
Swahili shahidi, shahidi
- shahidiattestation of a fact or event
- shahidione who has a personal knowledge of something
- shahidisomeone called to give evidence in a court
Swedish vittnesmål, vittne
- vittnesmålattestation of a fact or event
- vittneone who has a personal knowledge of something
- vittnesomeone called to give evidence in a court
- vittna om(transitive) to furnish proof of
- bevittna(transitive) to take as evidence
- bevittna(transitive) to see or gain knowledge of through experience
Thai พยาน, สักขี
- พยาน (pá-yaan)attestation of a fact or event
- สักขี (sàk-kǐi)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- พยาน (pá-yaan)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- ผู้เห็นเหตุการณ์ (pûu-hěn-hèet-gaan)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- พยาน (pá-yaan)someone called to give evidence in a court
- สักขี (sàk-kǐi)someone called to give evidence in a court
Turkish tanıklık, şahit
- tanıklıkattestation of a fact or event
- şahitone who has a personal knowledge of something
- tanıkone who has a personal knowledge of something
- şahitsomeone called to give evidence in a court
- tanıksomeone called to give evidence in a court
Ukrainian сві́дчення, сві́док
- сві́дчення (svídčennja)attestation of a fact or event
- сві́док (svídok)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- очеви́дець (očevýdecʹ)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- сві́док (svídok)someone called to give evidence in a court
- сві́дчий (svídčyj)someone called to give evidence in a court
- сві́дча (svídča)someone called to give evidence in a court
- очеви́дець (očevýdecʹ)someone called to give evidence in a court
- доказ (dokaz)something that serves as evidence
- сві́дчити (svídčyty)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- засві́дчувати (zasvídčuvaty)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- засві́дчити (zasvídčyty)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- підтве́рджувати (pidtvérdžuvaty)(transitive) to furnish proof of
- підтве́рдити (pidtvérdyty)(transitive) to furnish proof of
Urdu گواہ, شاہد
- گواہ (gavāh)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- شاہد (śāhid)one who has a personal knowledge of something
- گواہ (gavāh)someone called to give evidence in a court
- شاہد (śāhid)someone called to give evidence in a court
Vietnamese nhân chứng, nhân chứng
- nhân chứngattestation of a fact or event
- nhân chứngone who has a personal knowledge of something
- nhân chứngsomeone called to give evidence in a court
Welsh tyst
- tystone who has a personal knowledge of something
Yiddish עד
- עד (eyd)one who has a personal knowledge of something
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with witness
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
witness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/witness
MLA
“witness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/witness. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “witness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/witness.
Source: witness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.