Definition

A person who has heard something and can provide information about it.

Example

The earwitness testified in court about what they heard during the incident.

Conversation

Did you hear about that incident at the cafe earlier?

Yeah, I heard it was pretty chaotic.

Apparently, there was an earwitness who reported everything that happened.

That's interesting! I wonder what they heard.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Earwitness → It is formed from "ear" (from Old English "eare", meaning the organ of hearing) and "witness" (from Old English "witan", meaning to know or to see). The word "earwitness" refers to someone who hears an event and can testify about it, thus combining the act of hearing with the role of a witness.

Memory Tip

Think of someone who 'hears' ('ear') something and can 'testify' ('witness') about it — that's what an earwitness does.

Visually Confused Words