witness
/ˈwɪtnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪtnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwit-nəs/ (ame, mw) · /ˈwɪt.nəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪt.nəs/ (ame, ipa)
witness — noun
1. someone who is present and watches an event as it takes place, such as a crime o
someone who is present and watches an event as it takes place, such as a crime or accident, and can later describe what they saw
The police asked Amihan to stay since she was the only eyewitness to the robbery.
eyewitness + to + [event] for a person who saw it
Several eyewitnesses gave the police a clear description of the car that drove away.
Jabari became an eyewitness to the traffic accident while waiting for the bus.
No eyewitness has come forward to say what happened outside the bank that night.
A kitchen fire broke out so suddenly that there were no eyewitnesses to how it started.
文法句型
witness + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently followed by the preposition 'to' to specify the event seen. Can be used alone ('an eyewitness') or with a modifier ('a reliable eyewitness').
常見錯誤
2. someone who appears before a judge and answers questions about a legal matter, a
someone who appears before a judge and answers questions about a legal matter, after swearing to tell the truth
The witness in the courtroom took a deep breath before the lawyer asked her the first question.
Aoi was called as a witness for the defence in her neighbour's trial.
witness + for + prosecution/defence
The judge ordered all witnesses to wait outside the court until their turn came.
William gave his account calmly when he took the stand as the main witness.
During cross-examination by the defence lawyer, the witness quietly corrected part of her earlier account.
文法句型
witness + for + prosecution/defence
用法筆記
Can be specified as 'witness for the prosecution' (called by the accuser) or 'witness for the defence' (called by the accused). Expert witnesses (doctors, scientists) may give opinions rather than factual accounts.
常見錯誤
3. someone asked to attend the signing of a legal paper and put their name on it to
someone asked to attend the signing of a legal paper and put their name on it too, confirming that they saw the original signer do so
Hari asked his neighbour to act as a witness when he signed the rental agreement.
act as a witness + when signing a document
Each side of the business deal must bring two witnesses to the signing of the final contract.
Quinn refused to be a witness to the will since she was related to the heir.
The lawyer checked that all witnesses had signed their names next to the correct line.
In some countries, a marriage needs two witnesses to sign the official record.
- signatory
more formal and usually refers to a person signing an agreement on behalf of a group, not a neutral third party verifying a signature
文法句型
witness + to + document
用法筆記
Common in legal, property, and family-document contexts (wills, contracts, marriage certificates). The witness's signature confirms the identity of the main signer and the fact that they signed freely.
常見錯誤
4. the act of seeing something with your own eyes, especially when your account of
the act of seeing something with your own eyes, especially when your account of it later becomes relevant or important
The security guard's witness of the break-in gave the police enough details to start searching.
possessive + witness + of + [event] for the act of seeing
The court relied on Roya's witness of the contract signing to confirm it was legal.
The journalist's personal witness of the ceremony was the only way she could write an accurate report.
Caio's witness of the whole argument helped the manager decide who was at fault.
- observation
more neutral; observation can be casual or scientific, while witness implies a specific event of significance
- testimony
narrower; testimony is the formal spoken or written account, not the act of seeing itself
文法句型
witness + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This uncountable/singular sense is more formal than the verb and often appears with a possessive determiner ('his witness', 'their witness'). Distinguish from sense 1 (a person) — here the word refers to the act itself, not a person.
witness — verb
1. to be present and watch an event as it takes place, particularly a crime, accide
to be present and watch an event as it takes place, particularly a crime, accident, or other significant occurrence
Amihan witnessed the car hit the bicycle from her apartment window on the fifth floor.
witness + noun phrase + -ing (event happening)
Several people in the park witnessed the fight and called the police immediately.
The security guard witnessed a man trying to open the back door of the shop.
Nobody witnessed the exact moment when the painting was cut from its frame in the gallery.
Quinn later told police she witnessed the whole argument from across the street.
文法句型
witness + noun phrase
witness + noun phrase + -ing
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person who was physically present. The '-ing' pattern ('witnessed someone doing something') is common and often describes an action in progress. Frequently used in formal police and legal statements.
常見錯誤
2. to attend the signing of an official paper and add your own signature, thereby c
to attend the signing of an official paper and add your own signature, thereby confirming that the person named on it truly signed it
Eli asked a colleague to witness his signature on the job contract.
witness + signature / document (legal act)
A lawyer must witness a will being signed for it to be valid.
Two senior employees witnessed the director signing the annual financial report last Thursday.
The notary public witnessed the young couple signing their marriage certificate at city hall.
- countersign
more specific; countersigning is done to confirm or endorse a signature that is already on the document
文法句型
witness + document
用法筆記
The object can be the document ('witness a will'), the signature ('witness a signature'), or the act ('witness the signing'). The witness's own signature is usually added to the document after the main signer has signed.
常見錯誤
3. of a place, era, or institution: to be the setting in which a notable event unfo
of a place, era, or institution: to be the setting in which a notable event unfolds
The stadium witnessed some of the most exciting matches in the history of the sport.
place + witnessed + event (metaphorical)
The early 2000s witnessed a huge growth in smartphone use across the world.
This small town has witnessed many changes since the new highway was built.
The last decade witnessed a sharp rise in the number of people working from home.
- experience
broader; 'experience' can apply to people too and does not carry the same formal, historical tone
- see
less formal; 'see' with a place/time subject ('the year 2020 saw…') is more common in everyday journalism
文法句型
place/time + witnessed + event
用法筆記
Subject is always a location, time period, or institution — never a person. Common with abstract objects like 'change', 'growth', 'decline', 'rise'. More common in written English, especially news and academic texts.
常見錯誤
4. to show or be clear evidence of a quality, feeling, fact, or change, especially
to show or be clear evidence of a quality, feeling, fact, or change, especially through visible actions or results
The rows of empty seats witnessed the audience's disappointment with the show.
result + witnesses + [abstract quality] (evidence pattern)
His tired eyes and slow walk witnessed the long hours he had spent on the project.
The heavy silence in the room witnessed the shock everyone felt after hearing the news.
The faded photographs on the wall witness a friendship that lasted more than fifty years.
文法句型
something + witnesses + something
用法筆記
Subject is an object, situation, or result — never a person. Often interchangeable with 'attest to' or 'testify to' in formal writing. This sense is rarer in everyday speech than verb sense 1.