noun
eyewitness
noun
1
A person who personally saw an event happen and can describe or testify to it.
"Police are appealing for eyewitnesses to the crash."
"An eyewitness account placed the suspect at the scene."
verb
1
To be present at and personally see an event as it happens.
"Several tourists eyewitnessed the collapse of the bridge."
How to Use Eyewitness
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who was actually there and saw it happen, as opposed to hearing about it secondhand.
Common pairings
eyewitness account
eyewitness testimony
eyewitness report
Word Forms
eyewitnessed past tense, eyewitnesses plural, eyewitnesses singular
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Police are appealing for _____ to the crash.
Etymology
A straightforward compound of eye and witness — someone who witnessed something with their own eyes.