witness

witness

I

wit‧ness¹ S2 W3 /ˈwɪtnəs, ˈwɪtnɪs/ noun1.  CRIME/ACCIDENT  [countable] someone who sees a crime or an accident and can describe what happened:
    Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
    witness to
    One witness to the accident said the driver appeared to be drunk.
    an eye witness (=someone who sees an event) to the robbery ⇨ eyewitness
2.  IN A COURT OF LAW  [countable] someone who appears in a court of law to say what they know about a crime or other event ⇨ testify
    key/star/principal witness
    the key witness in the case against the brothers
    The defence is expected to call them as witnesses.
    witness for the prosecution/defence (also prosecution/defence witness) (=someone the prosecution or defence lawyers choose as a witness in order to help prove their case) ⇨ expert witness
3.  SIGNING A DOCUMENT  [countable] someone who is present when an official document is signed, and who signs it too, to say that they saw it being signed
    witness to
    a witness to a will
4. be witness to something formal to be present when something happens, and watch it happening:
    We were witness to the worst excesses of the military.
5.  CHRISTIAN BELIEF  [uncountable and countable] American English a public statement of strong Christian belief, or someone who makes such a statement
⇨ bear witness at bear¹(15)
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + witness
   ▪ a key witness (=a very important witness) Rupert is expected to be a key witness at the trial.
   ▪ a star witness (=an important witness who says things that help one side a lot) The judge ruled that the state’s star witness had lied on the stand.
   ▪ a principal witness (=a main witness) The principal witness was too ill to testify.
   ▪ an expert witness (=someone who has special knowledge, for example of medicine, and who talks about it in court) The jury had to choose between the conflicting testimonies of expert witnesses.
   ▪ a character witness (=a witness who says that the person being tried is a good person) He said he would gladly be a character witness for her.
   ▪ a prosecution witness During the trial, over thirty prosecution witnesses were called.
   ▪ a defence witness A defence witness said that Carter was not holding a gun when the shot was fired.
■ phrases
   ▪ a witness for the prosecution/defence Witnesses for the prosecution have not sounded convincing.
■ verbs
   ▪ call a witness (=require a witness to speak in court) She was the final witness to be called.
   ▪ question a witness They were not permitted to question government witnesses.
   ▪ cross-examine a witness (=ask them questions about what they have said) His attorney cross-examined the witness.
   ▪ appear as a witness He appeared as an expert witness at several government enquiries.
   ▪ a witness testifies (=makes a statement) We had two witnesses who testified that they had seen him hitting his wife.
   ▪ a witness gives evidence Child witnesses gave evidence using closed circuit television cameras.
■ witness + NOUN
   ▪ the witness box/stand (=where the witness sits when speaking in court) He spent three hours in the witness stand.
   ▪ the statement/testimony of a witness (=what a witness says) The testimony of one witness led to his conviction.
     

THESAURUS

■ In a court
   ▪ defendant the person who is on trial for a crime
   ▪ the defence British English, the defense American English the lawyers who are working for the defendant
   ▪ the prosecution the lawyers who are trying to prove that the defendant is guilty
   ▪ judge the official in charge of a court who decides how criminals should be punished
   ▪ jury a group of people, usually 12 people, who listen to the facts and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
   ▪ witness someone who describes in a court of law what he or she knows about a crime
   ▪ testimony a formal statement made in a court of law about a particular situation or action
   ▪ verdict the decision of the jury as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty

II

witness² verb
1.  CRIME/ACCIDENT  [transitive] to see something happen, especially a crime or accident:
    Several residents claim to have witnessed the attack.
2.  EXPERIENCE SOMETHING  [transitive] to experience important events or changes:
    Priests have witnessed an increase in religious intolerance.
3.  TIME/PLACE  [transitive] if a time or place witnesses an event, the event happens during that time or in that place:
    Recent years have witnessed the collapse of the steel industry.
4.  OFFICIAL DOCUMENT  [transitive] if you witness the signing of an official document, you are there when it is signed, and sign it yourself to prove this:
    Will you witness my signature?
5. witness something (also ..., as witnessed by something) used to introduce an example that proves something you have just mentioned:
    Bad economic times can result in political dictatorships. Witness Germany in the 1930s.
6.  RELIGION  [intransitive] to speak publicly about your Christian beliefs ⇨ testify