wit + -ness

source: [ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪裁判で証人の呼子を問い詰める猫娘｜無料GIF画像検索 GIFMAGAZINE 3648457]

1. a person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place:

【事件などの】目撃者(eyewitness) «to, of»

e.g. police are appealing for witnesses to the accident

e.g. I was witness to one of the most amazing comebacks in sprinting history.

a person giving sworn testimony to a court of law or the police.

(法廷などでの) «…に有利な/…に不利な» 証人, 参考人 «for/against»

a person who is present at the signing of a document and signs it themselves to confirm this.

【取引などの】立会人; 【文書などの】連署人 «to»

2. evidence; proof:

｟かたく｠ 証拠, 証明; (法廷などの)証書; «…の» 証拠になる物, 人 «to»

e.g. the memorial service was witness to the wide circle of his interest.

used to refer to confirmation or evidence given by signature, under oath, or otherwise:

e.g. in witness thereof, the parties sign this document.

open profession of one's religious faith through words or actions:

｟米｠ (キリスト教の)信仰告白.

e.g. faithful Christian witness.

3. a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

1. with object see (an event, typically a crime or accident) take place:

〈人が〉〈事件など〉を目撃する; 〖～ A doing〗 A〈人〉が…しているのを目撃する

e.g. a bartender who witnessed the murder.

be present as someone signs (a document) or gives (their signature) to a document and sign it oneself to confirm this:

(証人として)〈文書など〉に署名する; 〈署名など〉に連署する

e.g. the clerk witnessed her signature.

2. have knowledge of (an event or change) from personal observation or experience:

〈重要な出来事･変化など〉を目の当たりにする

e.g. what we are witnessing is the birth of a dangerously liberal orthodoxy.

(of a time, place, or other context) be the setting in which (an event or development) takes place:

〈時代･場所などが〉〈出来事など〉の場となる

e.g. the 1980s witnessed an unprecedented increase in the scope of the electronic media.

no object (witness to) give or serve as evidence of; testify to:

«…の» 証明, 証拠となる «to» .

e.g. his writings witness to an inner toughness.

in imperative look at (used to introduce a fact illustrating a preceding statement):

(as) witness A: A〈物･事〉が証明するように; (証拠として)Aを見よ, 参照のこと (!witnessは仮定法現在でAがその主語)

e.g. the nuclear family is a vulnerable institution—witness the rates of marital breakdown.

3. no object (of a person) openly profess one's religious faith:

｟米｠ (キリスト教で)信仰告白をする.

e.g. our duty is to witness to God.

an invocation of God as confirmation of the truth of a statement:

e.g. God be my witness, sir, I didn't!

archaic appeal or refer to someone or something for confirmation or evidence of something: his hands extended upward as if to call the heavens to witness this injustice.

Old English witnes(see wit1, -ness).