witness
[noun]
Synonyms:
- observer, beholder, bystander, eyewitness, looker-on, onlooker, spectator, viewer, watcher
- testifier, corroborator
[verb]
Synonyms:
- see, note, notice, observe, perceive, view, watch
- sign, countersign, endorse

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Related Words: affirm, endorse, subscribe

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English Thesaurus: defendant, the defence, the prosecution, judge, jury, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. wit‧ness¹ S2 W3 /ˈwɪtnəs, ˈwɪtnɪs/ noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: witnes 'knowledge, account, witness', from wit; ⇒ wit]

1. CRIME/ACCIDENT [countable] someone who sees a crime or an accident and can describe what happened:
Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
witness to
One witness to the accident said the driver appeared to be drunk.
an eye witness (=someone who sees an event) to the robbery ⇒ eyewitness

2. IN A COURT OF LAW [countable] someone who appears in a court of law to say what they know about a crime or other event ⇒ testify
key/star/principal witness
the key witness in the case against the brothers
The defence is expected to call them as witnesses.
witness for the prosecution/defence (also prosecution/defence witness) (=someone the prosecution or defence lawyers choose as a witness in order to help prove their case) ⇒ expert witness

3. SIGNING A DOCUMENT [countable] someone who is present when an official document is signed, and who signs it too, to say that they saw it being signed
witness to
a witness to a will

4. be witness to something formal to be present when something happens, and watch it happening:
We were witness to the worst excesses of the military.

5. CHRISTIAN BELIEF [uncountable and countable] American English a public statement of strong Christian belief, or someone who makes such a statement
⇒ bear witness at bear¹(15)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. witness² verb

1. CRIME/ACCIDENT [transitive] to see something happen, especially a crime or accident:
Several residents claim to have witnessed the attack.

2. EXPERIENCE SOMETHING [transitive] to experience important events or changes:
Priests have witnessed an increase in religious intolerance.

3. TIME/PLACE [transitive] if a time or place witnesses an event, the event happens during that time or in that place:
Recent years have witnessed the collapse of the steel industry.

4. OFFICIAL DOCUMENT [transitive] if you witness the signing of an official document, you are there when it is signed, and sign it yourself to prove this:
Will you witness my signature?

5. witness something (also ..., as witnessed by something) used to introduce an example that proves something you have just mentioned:
Bad economic times can result in political dictatorships. Witness Germany in the 1930s.

6. RELIGION [intransitive] to speak publicly about your Christian beliefs ⇒ testify

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

witness
noun
I. person who sees sth
ADJ. eye (also eyewitness) An eyewitness account described the plane as a ‘fireball’.
crucial, key, material, vital As the last person to see her alive, he was a material witness in the case.
independent | credible, reliable, unimpeachable | unreliable
VERB + WITNESS appeal for The police are appealing for witnesses.
trace Police have so far failed to trace any witnesses to the attack.
WITNESS + VERB come forward Two witnesses came forward with evidence.
WITNESS + NOUN account, statement
PREP. ~ to a witness to murder

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

witness
II. in a court of law
ADJ. chief, main, principal the defence's chief witness
hostile | reluctant, unwilling | defence | prosecution, state | expert | character | civilian, police
VERB + WITNESS call The defence called their first witness.
appear as She appeared as a character witness.
swear in | cross-examine, examine, interrogate, interview, question | hear | discredit | intimidate, threaten A judicial enquiry was ordered, but witnesses were threatened and none would testify.
suborn He was charged with conspiracy to suborn witnesses.
WITNESS + VERB take the stand The next witness took the stand.
give evidence, testify | make a statement, state sth | identify sb She was the only witness to identify Peters as the attacker.
WITNESS + NOUN box, stand | summons
PHRASES a witness for the defence/prosecution

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

witness
III. of a signature
VERB + WITNESS act as
WITNESS + VERB sign
PREP. ~ to Would you be willing to act as a witness to my signature when I sign my will?

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

witness

a key witness (=a very important witness)
Rupert is expected to be a key witness at the trial.
a star witness (=an important witness who says things that help one side a lot)
The judge ruled that the state’s star witness had lied on the stand.
a principal witness (=a main witness)
The principal witness was too ill to testify.
an expert witness (=someone who has special knowledge, for example of medicine, and who talks about it in court)
The jury had to choose between the conflicting testimonies of expert witnesses.
a character witness (=a witness who says that the person being tried is a good person)
He said he would gladly be a character witness for her.
a prosecution witness
During the trial, over thirty prosecution witnesses were called.
a defence witness
A defence witness said that Carter was not holding a gun when the shot was fired.
a witness for the prosecution/defence
Witnesses for the prosecution have not sounded convincing.
call a witness (=require a witness to speak in court)
She was the final witness to be called.
question a witness
They were not permitted to question government witnesses.
cross-examine a witness (=ask them questions about what they have said)
His attorney cross-examined the witness.
appear as a witness
He appeared as an expert witness at several government enquiries.
a witness testifies (=makes a statement)
We had two witnesses who testified that they had seen him hitting his wife.
a witness gives evidence
Child witnesses gave evidence using closed circuit television cameras.
the witness box/stand (=where the witness sits when speaking in court)
He spent three hours in the witness stand.
the statement/testimony of a witness (=what a witness says)
The testimony of one witness led to his conviction.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

defendant the person who is on trial for a crime
the defence British English, the defense American English the lawyers who are working for the defendant
the prosecution the lawyers who are trying to prove that the defendant is guilty
judge the official in charge of a court who decides how criminals should be punished
jury a group of people, usually 12 people, who listen to the facts and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
witness someone who describes in a court of law what he or she knows about a crime
testimony a formal statement made in a court of law about a particular situation or action
verdict the decision of the jury as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

notice to realize that something is there or that something is happening, because you can see, hear, or feel it:
I noticed that he was rather quiet during dinner.
Children don’t seem to notice the cold.
‘Julie’s home.’ ‘Yes, I noticed her bicycle outside.’
detect to notice something that is difficult to see, hear etc because it is very small, faint, or unclear. Detect is used about people and machines, and is more formal than notice:
X-ray telescopes can now detect virtually every type of astronomical object.
He thought he detected a flicker of interest in her eyes.
spot to notice something, especially something that is difficult to see or that you see for a short time only. Spot is more informal than notice:
Can you spot the difference between these two pictures?
I’m glad you spotted the mistake before it was too late.
become aware/conscious to gradually begin to notice that something is happening or is true:
I became aware that Mum was getting a lot older.
Tessa became conscious of a feeling of guilt.
can tell to be able to notice something because you can see, smell, hear it etc:
I could tell that she had been drinking.
Can you tell I've lost weight?
something/somebody catches your eye used to say that you suddenly notice something or someone because they are interesting, attractive, or good at something:
I saw this shirt in the shop window and it just caught my eye.
Clarke caught the eye of boss Bryan Robson when he scored for Newry last week.
observe formal to notice something as a result of watching or studying it closely:
Psychologists observed that the mice became more aggressive in smaller cages.
perceive formal to notice something, especially that something is happening, or is true, or needs to be done:
The company quickly perceived the need for change.
Doctors perceive that they do not have adequate time to spend with their patients.
witness to see something happen because you are there at the time:
People have witnessed some great economic changes during the last ten years.
miss to not notice something because it is difficult to see:
It’s easy to miss the entrance – the sign is hidden behind a tree.
take notice (=pay attention to something)
I began to take notice when the subject of money came up.
take no notice/not take any notice (=ignore something or someone)
The other passengers took no notice of what was happening.
come to sb’s notice (=be noticed by someone)
This problem first came to our notice last summer.
escape sb’s notice (=not be noticed by someone)
It had not escaped his notice that Phil seemed interested in Jean.
bring something to sb’s notice (=tell someone about something)
It has been brought to my notice that employees are smoking in the restrooms.
attract notice (=be noticed by other people)
She didn’t want to attract notice, so she dressed very plainly.
give notice
To withdraw money from this type of savings account, you must give the bank 30 days’ notice.
serve notice formal (=warn someone about something)
They have served notice that they intend to take legal action against the company.
have/receive notice
If I’d had more notice, I could have done a better job.
need notice (also require notice formal)
The company requires a month’s notice of any holiday time you would like to take.
advance notice (also prior notice formal) (=given before an event)
We had no advance notice of the attack.
reasonable notice (=an amount that is considered to be fair to everyone)
Did you receive reasonable notice of the court case?
ten days’/three months’/five minutes’ etc notice
His contract said he must give three months’ notice if he decides to leave the job.
no notice
We received no notice of the changes.
at short notice (=without much time to prepare)
Thank you for coming to help at such short notice.
at a moment’s notice (=very quickly)
He’d be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
without notice
Trains may be cancelled without notice.
until further notice (=from now until you are told something else)
On the door was a sign: ‘Library closed until further notice’.
notice to quit British English (=a warning that you must leave the house or flat where you live by a particular date)
The new owner gave all the tenants notice to quit.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.
sight especially written to suddenly see something or someone from a long distance, especially when you have been looking for a long time:
The missing boys were sighted by a rescue helicopter.
The crew finally sighted land.
blind unable to see anything:
She has been blind from birth.
partially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind:
Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.
visually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc:
a special school for visually impaired children

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sight something that you see:
A herd of elephants is a magnificent sight.
Even Charles cheered up at the sight of the food.
view the area you can see from a window or place, especially when it is beautiful:
The view from the top of the mountain is amazing.
The hotel has great views of Lake Windermere.
We had a good view of the firework display.
panorama an impressive view of a very large area that stretches a long way across in front of you:
a panorama of snow-covered hills and mountains
vista written a view of a large area of beautiful scenery – used in written descriptions:
The road around the island offers some spectacular vistas.
scene what you see in a place, especially where people are moving around and doing things:
Reporters described the horrific scenes which followed the bombing.
His pictures are mainly of local scenes.
spectacle something that you see that is very unusual, surprising, or strange:
It must have been an unusual spectacle.
I leaned over the balcony to get a look at the spectacle below.
visuals [plural] pictures or parts of a film, video etc that people can see, as opposed to the parts you can hear:
Good visuals will help keep your audience’s attention.
see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲