witness
verb/ˈwɪtnəs/
/ˈwɪtnəs/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they witness | /ˈwɪtnəs/ /ˈwɪtnəs/ |
| he / she / it witnesses | /ˈwɪtnəsɪz/ /ˈwɪtnəsɪz/ |
| past simple witnessed | /ˈwɪtnəst/ /ˈwɪtnəst/ |
| past participle witnessed | /ˈwɪtnəst/ /ˈwɪtnəst/ |
| -ing form witnessing | /ˈwɪtnəsɪŋ/ /ˈwɪtnəsɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] witness something to see something happen (typically a crime or an accident)
- to witness an accident/a murder/an attack
- Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them.
- We are now witnessing an unprecedented increase in violent crime.
- She was shocked by the violent scenes she had witnessed.
- The novel is based on an event that he himself had witnessed.
- I couldn’t bear to witness their suffering.
- We had witnessed one of the most outstanding theatrical performances of the decade.
- It's one of the strongest pieces of dance theatre I've ever witnessed.
Synonyms noticenoticenote ▪ detect ▪ observe ▪ witnessThese words all mean to see something, especially when you pay careful attention to it.notice to see, hear or become aware of somebody/something; to pay attention to somebody/something:Topics Crime and punishmentb2- The first thing I noticed about the room was the smell.
- Please note (that) the office will be closed on Monday.
- The tests are designed to detect the disease early.
- Have you observed any changes lately?
- The police observed a man enter the bank.
- Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them.
- to notice/note/detect/observe that/how/what/where/who…
- to notice/observe/witness something happen/somebody do something
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- [transitive] witness something to be the place, period, organization, etc. in which particular events take place
- Recent years have witnessed a growing social mobility.
- The retail trade is witnessing a sharp fall in sales.
- The last century witnessed an unprecedented increase in violent crime.
- [transitive] witness something to be present when an official document is signed and sign it yourself to prove that you saw this happen
- to witness a signature
- The document was witnessed by a lawyer.
- [intransitive, transitive, usually passive] to be a sign or proof of something
- witness to something The huge attendance figures for the exhibition witness to a healthy interest in modern art.
- as witnessed by something There has been increasing interest in her life and work, as witnessed by the publication of two new biographies.
- [transitive] witness something (formal) used when giving an example that proves something you have just said
- Authentic Italian cooking is very healthy—witness the low incidence of heart disease in Italy.
- [intransitive] witness (to something) (especially North American English) to speak to people about your strong religious beliefs synonym testify
see something
of time/place
signature
be sign/proof
to religious beliefs
Word OriginOld English witnes (see wit, -ness).
Check pronunciation:
witness