Witness — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈwit-nəs/ wit·ness

Meaning & Definition of Witness

Witness (noun)

  1. attestation of a fact or event, testimony
  2. one that gives evidence; specifically, one who testifies in a cause or before a judicial tribunal
  3. one asked to be present at a transaction so as to be able to testify to its having taken place

Witness (verb)

  1. to testify to, attest
  2. to act as legal witness of
  3. to furnish proof of, betoken

Witness (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something presented in support of the truth or accuracy of a claim

    "the ruins are a compelling witness of the ancient civilization's cultural and aesthetic achievements"

    similar: attestation, confirmation, corroboration, documentation, evidence, proof, substantiation, testament, testimonial, testimony, validation, voucher
    related: (the) goods, certificate, document, exhibit, demonstration, illustration, authentication, identification, manifestation, verification
    opposite: disproof
    near: rebuttal, refutation, accusation, allegation, charge, assumption, conjecture, guess, presumption, surmise, suspicion

Witness (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to declare (something) to be true or genuine

    "a notary public witnessing wills and other important documents"

    similar: attest, authenticate, avouch, certify, testify (to), vouch (for)
    related: guarantee, warrant, affirm, assert, aver, avow, profess, vow

  2. to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes

    "witnessed the crime"

    similar: behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, get a load of (slang), lay eyes on, set eyes on
    related: identify, make out, pick out, pick up, attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind, study, watch, examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey, glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)
    near: disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over, miss, overlook

  3. to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact

    "I witnessed to the fact that I had seen them together that night"

    similar: attest, depose, swear, testify, bear witness
    related: verify, vouch, promise, vow

  4. to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it

    "war changes anyone who has ever witnessed it first hand"

    similar: endure, experience, feel, have, know, pass, see, suffer, sustain, taste, undergo, go through
    related: encounter, meet, accept, receive, assimilate, digest

Related Entry: Bear witness (phrase)

Bear witness is a different word from Witness. The synonyms below are for bear witness, not for witness.

  1. to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact

    "Both parties were asked to bear witness during the trial."

    similar: attest, depose, swear, testify, witness
    related: verify, vouch, promise, vow

Related Entry: Borne witness (phrase)

Borne witness is a different word from Witness. The synonyms below are for borne witness, not for witness.

  1. to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact

    "Both parties were asked to bear witness during the trial."

    similar: attested, deposed, sworn, testified, witnessed
    related: verified, vouched, promised, vowed

Related Entry: Bore witness (phrase)

Bore witness is a different word from Witness. The synonyms below are for bore witness, not for witness.

  1. to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact

    "Both parties were asked to bear witness during the trial."

    similar: attested, deposed, swore, testified, witnessed
    related: verified, vouched, promised, vowed

Related Entry: Bears witness (phrase)

Bears witness is a different word from Witness. The synonyms below are for bears witness, not for witness.

  1. to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact

    "Both parties were asked to bear witness during the trial."

    similar: attests, deposes, swears, testifies, witnesses
    related: verifies, vouches, promises, vows

Related Entry: Bearing witness (phrase)

Bearing witness is a different word from Witness. The synonyms below are for bearing witness, not for witness.

  1. to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact

    "Both parties were asked to bear witness during the trial."

    similar: attesting, deposing, swearing, testifying, witnessing
    related: verifying, vouching, promising, vowing

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Witness

The most common words with a similar meaning to Witness:

Slang: get a load of
attestation, confirmation, corroboration, documentation, evidence, proof, substantiation, testament, testimonial, testimony, validation, voucher, attest, authenticate, avouch, certify, testify (to), vouch (for), behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, depose, swear, testify

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Witness

Words with the opposite meaning of Witness:

disproof

Related Words for Witness

(the) goods, certificate, document, exhibit, demonstration, illustration, authentication, identification, manifestation, verification, guarantee, warrant, affirm, assert, aver, avow, profess, vow, identify, make out, pick out, pick up, attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind, study, watch, examine

Near Antonyms of Witness

rebuttal, refutation, accusation, allegation, charge, assumption, conjecture, guess, presumption, surmise, suspicion, disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over, miss, overlook

Word Forms of Witness

Inflections: witnessed, witnessing, witnesses

Origin & Etymology of Witness

Middle English witnesse, from Old English witnes knowledge, testimony, witness, from wit:1

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Witness

Words & Phrases Containing Witness

witness-box, witness stand, witness tampering, alibi witness, character witness, Jehovah's Witness, bear witness, be witness to

Frequently Asked Questions about Witness

What does "Witness" mean?

"Witness" means attestation of a fact or event, testimony. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: attestation of a fact or event, testimony. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Witness"?

Other words for "Witness" include attestation, confirmation, corroboration, documentation, evidence, proof, substantiation and testament. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Witness" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Witness"?

There are 101 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Witness". Common alternatives include attestation, confirmation, corroboration, documentation, evidence, proof, substantiation, testament, testimonial and testimony.

What is the opposite of "Witness"?

Antonyms of "Witness" include disproof. Near antonyms include rebuttal, refutation, accusation and allegation.

How do you use "Witness" in a sentence?

Examples of "Witness" in a sentence: "the ruins are a compelling witness of the ancient civilization's cultural and aesthetic achievements"; "a notary public witnessing wills and other important documents"; "witnessed the crime".

Is "Witness" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Witness" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Witness" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Witness" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Witness"?

"Witness" is pronounced /ˈwit-nəs/ and divided into syllables as wit·ness.