witness

Meaning

Noun

1. Attestation of a fact or event; testimony.
2. One who sees or has personal knowledge of something.
3. Someone called to give evidence in a court.
4. One who is called upon to witness an event or action, such as a wedding or the signing of a document.
5. Something that serves as evidence; a sign or token.

Verb

1. To furnish proof of, to show.
2. To take as evidence.
3. To see or gain knowledge of through experience.
4. To present personal religious testimony; to preach at (someone) or on behalf of.
5. To see the execution of (a legal instrument), and subscribe it for the purpose of establishing its authenticity.

Synonyms

testify

see

👀

testimony

eyewitness

evidence

attest

certify

attend

eye-witness

bear witness

spectator

testifier

proof

vouch

observe

attestor

observer

be present

witnesser

prove

onlooker

informant

certificate

looker

look on

voucher

watcher

attestant

bear witness of

behold

deponent

martyr

present

warrant

viewer

demonstrate

token

certification

attest to

deposition

beholder

affirm

inspect

attestator

find

🔍

attester

authenticate

sign

source

sponsor

spy

suffer

support

swear

take the stand

tell

testimonial

verifier

vestige

view

vouch for

watch

⌚

bear witness against

bear witness to

give on

see face to face

see plainly

vouchee

person given as a reference

probatory

testification

information

cause to know

be an accomplice

see with one’s own eyes

deposer

witness for

beat witness

lay witness

let one know

advocate

make known to

approve

attestation

aware of

bespeak

bystander

character

confirmation

connive

conspire

corroborator

countersign

deal

demonstration

derivation

descry

elder

experience

eye

👁️

gaze at

gazer

give evidence

give notice

glower

go through

hearer

identification

indicate

inform

informer

inspection

intimate

intimation

live through

look

looker-on

mark

notify

old man

oral evidence

participate

perceive

present at

probative

record

reference

sight

Translations

témoin

testigo

Zeuge

getuige

témoigner

bezeugen

şahit

témoignage

testimonio

tanık

Hyphenated as

wit‧ness

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈwɪtnəs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: witnesse

Inherited from Old English: ġewitnes

Cognate with Middle Dutch: wetenisse

Cognate with Old High German: gewiznessi

Cognate with Icelandic: vitni

In summary

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”).