Definitions for Witness
ˈwɪt nɪswit·ness

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. witness, witnesser, informantnoun

   someone who sees an event and reports what happened

2. spectator, witness, viewer, watcher, lookernoun

   a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

   "the spectators applauded the performance"; "television viewers"; "sky watchers discovered a new star"

3. witnessnoun

   testimony by word or deed to your religious faith

4. witness, attestant, attestor, attestatornoun

   (law) a person who attests to the genuineness of a document or signature by adding their own signature

5. witnessverb

   (law) a person who testifies under oath in a court of law

6. witnessverb

   be a witness to

   "She witnessed the accident and had to testify in court"

7. witness, find, seeverb

   perceive or be contemporaneous with

   "We found Republicans winning the offices"; "You'll see a lot of cheating in this school"; "The 1960's saw the rebellion of the younger generation against established traditions"; "I want to see results"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. witnessnoun

   Attestation of a fact or event; the quality of witting something.

   She can bear witness, since she was there at the time.

2. witnessnoun

   One who has a personal knowledge of something.

   As a witness to the event, I can tell you that he really said that.

3. witnessnoun

   Someone called to give evidence in a court.

   The witness for the prosecution did not seem very credible.

4. witnessnoun

   Something that serves as evidence; a sign.

5. witnessverb

   To furnish proof of, to show.

   This certificate witnesses his presence on that day.

6. witnessverb

   To take as evidence.

7. witnessverb

   To see, note, or gain knowledge of.

   He witnessed the accident.

8. witnessverb

   To present personal religious testimony; to preach at (someone) or on behalf of.

   "I don't really want to be actively harrassed (I mean witnessed to) (...)"uE000152870uE001

9. Etymology: From witnesse, from witnes, equivalent to. Cognate with wetenisse, gewiznessi.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Witnessinterj.

   An exclamation signifying that person or thing may attest it.

   For want of words, or lack of breath,
   Witness, when I was worried with thy peels. John Milton.

2. Witnessnoun

   Etymology: witnesse , Saxon.

   1. Testimony; attestation.

   The devil can cite scripture for his purpose;
   An evil soul producing holy witness,
   Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
   A goodly apple rotten at the heart. William Shakespeare.

   May we, with the warrant of womanhood, and the witness of a good conscience, pursue him any further revenge? William Shakespeare.

   If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. John.

   The spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Rom. viii. 16.

   Many bare false witness, but their witness agreed not. Mar.

   Nor was long his witness unconfirmed. John Milton.

   Ye moon and stars bear witness to the truth!
   His only crime, if friendship can offend,
   Is too much love to his unhappy friend. John Dryden, Æneid.

   Our senses bear witness to the truth of each others report, concerning the existence of sensible things. John Locke.

   2. One who gives testimony.

   The king’s attorney
   Urg’d on examinations, proofs, confessions
   Of divers witnesses. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.

   God is witness betwixt me and thee. Gen. xxxi. 50.

   Thy trial choose
   With me, best witness of thy virtue try’d. John Milton.

   A fat benefice became a crime, and witness too against its incumbent. Decay of Piety.

   Nor need I speak my deeds, for these you see;
   The sun and day are witnesses for me. Dryden.

   3. With a Witness. Effectually; to a great degree, so as to leave some lasting mark or testimony behind. A low phrase.

   Here was a blessing handed out with the first pairs of animals at their creation; and it had effect with a witness. Wood.

   Now gall is bitter with a witness;
   And love is all delight and sweetness. Matthew Prior.

3. To Witnessverb

   To attest.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   There ran a rumour
   Of many worthy fellows that were out,
   Which was to my belief witness’d the rather,
   For that I saw the tyrant’s power a-foot. William Shakespeare.

   Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? John xxvii. 13.

   Though by the father he were hir’d to this,
   He ne’er could witness any touch or kiss. John Donne.

   These be those discourses of God, whose effects those that live witness in themselves; the sensible in their sensible natures, the reasonable in their reasonable souls. Walter Raleigh.

4. To Witnessverb

   To bear testimony.

   The sea strave with the winds which should be louder, and the shrouds of the ship with a ghastly noise to them that were in it, witnessed that their ruin was the wager of the others contention. Philip Sidney.

   Mine eye doth his effigies witness,
   Most truly limn’d and living in your face. William Shakespeare.

   Witness you ever-burning lights above!
   You elements that clip us round about!
   Witness that here Iago now doth give
   The execution of his wit, hands and heart,
   To Othello’s service. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   Lorenzo
   Shall witness I set forth as soon as you,
   And even but now return’d. William Shakespeare.

   I witness to
   The times that brought them in. William Shakespeare.

   Another beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. John v. 32.

   The Americans do acknowledge and speak of the deluge in their continent, as Acosta witnesseth, and Laet in the histories of them. Thomas Burnet, Theory of the Earth.

   Witness, ye heav’ns! I live not by my fault,
   I strove to have deserv’d the death I sought John Dryden, Æneid.

   Lord Falkland witnesses for me, that in a book there were many subjects that I had thought on for the stage. Dryden.

   Witness for me ye awful gods,
   I took not arms till urg’d by self-defence,
   The eldest law of nature. Nicholas Rowe.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Witness

   A witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what he or she knows or claims to know. A percipient witness (or eyewitness) is one with knowledge obtained through his or her own senses (e.g., visual perception, hearing, smell, touch). That perception might be either with the unaided human sense or with the aid of an instrument, such as microscope or stethoscope. A hearsay witness is one who testifies about what someone else said or wrote. In most court proceedings there are many limitations on when hearsay evidence is admissible. Such limitations do not apply to grand jury investigations, many administrative proceedings, and may not apply to declarations used in support of an arrest or search warrant. Also some types of statements are not deemed to be hearsay and are not subject to such limitations. An expert witness is one who allegedly has specialized knowledge relevant to the matter of interest, which knowledge purportedly helps to either make sense of other evidence, including other testimony, documentary evidence or physical evidence (e.g., a fingerprint). An expert witness may or may not also be a percipient witness, as in a doctor or may or may not have treated the victim of an accident or crime. A reputation witness is one who testifies about the reputation of a person or business entity, when reputation is material to the dispute at issue. They are a person who aids that because of a persons interactions and personality the defendant is guilty/innocent In law a witness might be compelled to provide testimony in court, before a grand jury, before an administrative tribunal, before a deposition officer, or in a variety of other legal proceedings. A subpoena is a legal document that commands a person to appear at a proceeding. It is used to compel the testimony of a witness in a trial. Usually, it can be issued by a judge or by the lawyer representing the plaintiff or the defendant in a civil trial or by the prosecutor or the defense attorney in a criminal proceeding, or by a government agency. In many jurisdictions, it is compulsory to comply and with the subpoena and either take an oath or solemely affirm to testify truthfully under penalty of perjury. Although informally a witness includes whoever perceived the event, in law, a witness is different from an informant. A confidential informant is someone who claimed to have witnessed an event or have hearsay information, but whose identity is being withheld from at least one party (typically the criminal defendant). The information from the confidential informant may have been used by a police officer or other official acting as a hearsay witness to obtain a search warrant.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. witness

   Witness is a person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place. It can also refer to a person who gives testimony, as in a court of law, or evidence of something. Additionally, in a legal context, it can mean a person who signs a document, like a contract or a will, verifying that they have observed the signer who they believe to be competent and to have committed that signature willingly.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Witnessverb

   attestation of a fact or an event; testimony

2. Witnessverb

   that which furnishes evidence or proof

3. Witnessverb

   one who is cognizant; a person who beholds, or otherwise has personal knowledge of, anything; as, an eyewitness; an earwitness

4. Witnessverb

   one who testifies in a cause, or gives evidence before a judicial tribunal; as, the witness in court agreed in all essential facts

5. Witnessverb

   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

6. Witnessverb

   to see or know by personal presence; to have direct cognizance of

7. Witnessverb

   to give testimony to; to testify to; to attest

8. Witnessverb

   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

9. Witnessverb

   to bear testimony; to give evidence; to testify

10. Etymology: [AS. witness, gewitnes, from witan to know. 133. See Wit, v. i.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Witness

   A witness is someone who has, who claims to have, or is thought, by someone with authority to compel testimony, to have knowledge relevant to an event or other matter of interest. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what he or she knows or claims to know about the matter before some official authorized to take such testimony. A percipient witness or eyewitness is one who testifies what they perceived through his or her senses. That perception might be either with the unaided human sense or with the aid of an instrument, e.g., microscope or stethoscope, or by other scientific means, e.g.,a chemical reagent which changes color in the presence of a particular substance. A hearsay witness is one who testifies what someone else said or wrote. In most court proceedings there are many limitations on when hearsay evidence is admissible. Such limitations do not apply to grand jury investigations, many administrative proceedings, and may not apply to declarations used in support of an arrest or search warrant. Also some types of statements are not deemed to be hearsay and are not subject to such limitations.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Witness

   wit′nes, n. knowledge brought in proof: testimony of a fact: that which furnishes proof: one who sees or has personal knowledge of a thing: one who attests.—v.t. to have direct knowledge of: to see: to give testimony to: to show: (Shak.) to foretell.—v.i. to give evidence.—ns. Wit′ness-box, the enclosure in which a witness stands when giving evidence in a court of law; Wit′nesser.—With a witness (Shak.), to a great degree. [A.S. witnes, testimony—witan, to know.]

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. witness

   One who testifies in a cause, or gives evidence before a judicial tribunal; one who gives testimony. Every judge-advocate of a court-martial or court of inquiry has power to issue the like process, to compel witnesses to appear and testify, which courts of criminal jurisdiction within the State, Territory, or District where such military courts are ordered to sit may lawfully issue. For oath administered to witnesses, depositions, etc., see Appendix, Articles of War, 91, 92, and 118.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. witness

   Song lyrics by witness -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by witness on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Perceiver
   • Speaker
   • Testimony
   • Watch

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Witness' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4365

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Witness' in Nouns Frequency: #1287

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Witness' in Verbs Frequency: #701

Anagrams for Witness »

1. wisents

How to pronounce Witness?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Witness in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Witness in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Witness in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Witness in a Sentence

1. James Entwistle:

   The video shows how there was very little that the bar’s security could do to control the situation and it was clearly a shocking thing for staff and other people in the bar to witness.

2. The Aviary:

   We did not witness the incident and we are just beginning to learn the details. What is certain is this : no customer should ever be spit upon.

3. Ralph Hernandez:

   In Dr. Lakshmanan report, in the coroner’s 2012 review, and supplemental report that was issued, Dr. Lakshmanan explains that Natalie Wood in 1979 . drowned within a short time of entry into the water, it’s supported by numerous details that he documents in his report. That would tend to make us believe that it was, in fact, someone else that was heard calling for help. It’s also coupled with another witness ’ statement provided to the original investigators about a part that was going on in a nearby boat.

4. Martin Bell:

   Together we will bring much-needed supplies, offer comfort to those fleeing the war — and bear witness both to the suffering and to the extraordinary efforts of the agencies offering relief from that suffering.

5. Proverb:

   One witness one liar; more witnesses, all liars.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Witness
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Witness
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Witness
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witness
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Witness
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Witness
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Witness
9. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html