English Explanatory Dictionary

witness

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Attestation of a fact or event; testimony.
  2. One who sees or has personal knowledge of something.
  3. Someone called to give evidence in a court.
  4. One who is called upon to witness an event or action, such as a wedding or the signing of a document.
  5. Something that serves as evidence; a sign or token.
  6. A particular version of a text (seen as providing testimony of archetype or other earlier version)
  7. An additional database server instance used in failover scenarios to decide whether the mirror should take over.
verb
  1. To furnish proof of, to show.
  2. To take as evidence.
  3. To see or gain knowledge of through experience.
  4. 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.
noun
  1. A Jehovah's Witness.

Pronunciation

/ˈwɪt.nɪs/ en-us-witness.ogg /ˈwɪt.nəs/ en-au-witness.ogg

Word forms

witness witnesses witnesse witneße witnessing witnessed

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”).

Synonyms

certify

Derived words

adverse witness bear false witness bear witness character witness crown witness expert witness eye witness eye-witness eyewitness fact witness false witness foundational witness hostile witness in witness whereof Jehovah's witness material witness may God be my witness star witness turncoat witness witness box witness cam witness camera witness-consciousness witness mark witness protection witness stand witness tampering zealous witness Jehovah Witness pro-Witness
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