Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
withhold
withholding tax
within
without
withstand
withy
witless
witling
witness
witness stand
Wittenberg
witter
wittering
witticism
witting
witty
Witwatersrand
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "witness" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

witness

wit·ness [ wítnəss ]


noun  (plural wit·ness·es)
Definition:
 
1. somebody who sees occurrence: somebody who gives evidence after seeing or hearing something

2. signatory of document: somebody who signs a document to show that it, or another signature, is genuine

3. somebody who testifies to Christian beliefs: somebody who publicly states his or her strong Christian beliefs

4. public statement of Christian beliefs: a public statement of strong personal Christian beliefs



verb  (past and past participle wit·nessed, present participle wit·ness·ing, 3rd person present singular wit·ness·es)
Definition:
 
1. transitive verb see something happen: to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident

2. transitive verb countersign document: to affirm the authenticity of a document or a signature on a document by signing it

3. transitive verb experience important events: to experience important events or changes, or be the time in which they occur

4. transitive verb be sign of something: to be a sign or proof of something that is happening

5. intransitive verb speak publicly about religious beliefs: to talk in public about strong personal Christian beliefs

[ Old English witnes< wit (see wit1)]

wit·ness·a·ble adjective
wit·ness·er noun

bear witness (to something) to prove or be evidence that something is true or that something happened

Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
Shopping
© 2009 Microsoft