eyewitness

eye-wit-ness · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A person who has personally seen something happen and can give a firsthand account of it, especially in relation to a crime or accident.

  2. 2.

    (attributive) Relating to or based on direct observation.

Forms

plural: eyewitnesses

Related words

See also: observer, testimony, witness
Synonyms: bystander, observer, onlooker, witness

Etymology

From English eye + witness, a compound formed in the 16th century. The term emphasizes the visual nature of the testimony, distinguishing it from hearsay or secondhand accounts.