Words / B1

BYST-and-uh/ˈbaɪstændə/

A bystander is present but not involved: a bystander filmed the crash. Witness is a close twin who may give evidence; passer-by is everyday. Good Samaritan laws are a different idea. Crash: a bystander filmed it before paramedics arrived.

Meaning

A person who is present but not involved in an event.

Examples

• “A bystander filmed the crash before paramedics arrived.”
• “A bystander is not automatically a named witness on the police log.”

Good to know

a bystander. Close: a witness / a passer-by. Crime / first aid. Countable. Compound: bystander effect (psychology, later levels).

Near in meaning

witness

New