|
|
- pronunciation:
- wIt
nihs
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb, noun
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb, noun), Word History, Word Explorer, Grammatical Patterns, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
witnesses, witnessing, witnessed |
| definition 1: |
to see or personally experience.
She witnessed the crime.The soldiers have witnessed the horrors of war.He witnessed the woman entering the building around eight o'clock.[verb + smby/smth + present participle
]
She witnessed the boy grab the man's wallet.[verb + smby/smth + bare infinitive
]
- synonyms:
- eyewitness, know, see
- similar words:
- behold, experience, observe, perceive
|
| definition 2: |
to give or serve as evidence of; testify to.
This vicious act witnesses her intense hatred for him.- synonyms:
- attest, testify
- similar words:
- confirm, corroborate, demonstrate, depose, establish, evidence, evince, express, reveal, show, substantiate, swear, verify, vouch
|
| definition 3: |
to watch or be present at.
Hundreds of people witnessed the hanging.- synonyms:
- attend, see, watch
- similar words:
- behold, observe, view
|
| definition 4: |
to attest to the legality of by signing one's name.
The notary witnessed their signatures.- synonyms:
- attest, notarize, sign
- similar words:
- certify, endorse, initial, testify, undersign, validate
|
| related words: |
mark, note, see |
|
|
| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition: |
to supply or act as evidence; testify.
The doctor who did the examination will witness today in court.- synonyms:
- testify
- similar words:
- attest, certify, depose, swear, vouch
|
adverb + (v.)witness
ever, personally
(v.)witness
+ adverb
firsthand
(v.)witness
+ noun
abuse,
accident,
arrival,
assault,
atrocity,
beating,
birth,
carnage,
ceremony,
collapse,
death,
decline,
demonstration,
destruction,
display,
emergence,
encounter,
event,
execution,
expansion,
explosion,
horror,
incident,
increase,
killing,
miracle,
murder,
phenomenon,
rise,
ritual,
scene,
shooting,
signing,
spectacle,
suffering,
tragedy,
transformation,
violence
[See all][See only the most frequent]
|
|
|
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
a person who sees or experiences an occurrence.
I was a witness to the fight.- synonyms:
- eyewitness, spectator
- similar words:
- beholder, bystander, looker-on, observer, onlooker, viewer, watcher
|
| definition 2: |
a person who supplies evidence, esp. in a court of law.
The prosecutor called her next witness.- synonyms:
- testifier
- similar words:
- deponent, informant, informer
|
| definition 3: |
a person who formally attests to a document by signing it.
He acted as a witness to the will.- similar words:
- notary public, signer
|
| definition 4: |
something that acts as evidence.
The book's worldwide popularity is a witness to its universality.- synonyms:
- evidence, testimony
- similar words:
- affidavit, confirmation, declaration, deposition, profession, proof, statement, testimonial, verification
|
| related words: |
evidence, testimony |
adjective + (n.)witness
accidental,
adverse,
alleged,
biblical,
complaining,
cooperating,
corroborating,
credible,
expert,
false,
first-hand,
hostile,
key,
live,
material,
mute,
potential,
procedural,
reliable,
reluctant,
silent,
unidentified,
unreliable
[See all][See only the most frequent]
verb + (n.)witness
bear, bore, call, compel, cooperate, cross-examine, depose, detain, impeach, interrogate, interview, intimidate, question, subpoena, summon
(n.)witness
+ verb
contradict, corroborate, swear, tamper, testify
noun + (n.)witness
alibi,
courtroom,
credibility,
cross-examination,
defendant,
defense,
deposition,
evidence,
examination,
expert,
investigator,
lawyer,
parade,
perjury,
plaintiff,
prosecution,
prosecutor,
questioning,
rebuttal,
star,
surprise,
survivor,
suspect,
testimony,
victim
[See all][See only the most frequent]
|
| derivations: |
witnessable (adj.), witnesser (n.) |
The word witness comes from wit, which in Old English means "knowledge."
The word witness
contains the following part:
-ness
Old English
noun-forming suffix
that means state or quality of
  More about this word part:
The suffix -ness
is attached to adjectives to form nouns. It is fully productive, meaning that any word that combines an adjective and the suffix -ness
is an allowable English noun. In a small set of cases, it is attached to a verb (forgiveness) or a noun (witness
).
Example words:
airiness, brightness, consciousness, fitness, heaviness, illness, kindness, likeness, madness, preparedness, darkness, sickness, hardness, business, witness
|