witness

English Online Dictionary. What means witness‎? What does witness mean?

English

Alternative forms

• witnesse, witneße (obsolete)

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɪtnəs/, /ˈwɪtnɪs/
• Rhymes: -ɪtnəs, -ɪtnɪs
• Hyphenation: wit‧ness

Noun

witness (countable and uncountable, plural witnesses)

1. (uncountable) Attestation of a fact or event; testimony.
2. (countable) One who sees or has personal knowledge of something.
3. (countable, law) Someone called to give evidence in a court.
4. (countable) One who is called upon to witness an event or action, such as a wedding or the signing of a document.

5. (countable) Something that serves as evidence; a sign or token.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

witness (third-person singular simple present witnesses, present participle witnessing, simple past and past participle witnessed)

1. (transitive) To furnish proof of, to show.
2. (transitive) To take as evidence.
3. (transitive) To see or gain knowledge of through experience.
4. (intransitive, construed with to or for) 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

• certify

Translations

Anagrams

• wisents