character witness

noun

: a person who gives evidence in a legal action concerning the reputation, conduct, and moral nature of a party

Examples of character witness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Two weeks after the Rolling Stones hosted Saturday Night Live in 1978, Lorne Michaels served as a character witness for Keith Richards as the guitarist battled a drug charge in Canada that could’ve put him in jail for life. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2025 In 2022, McNally appeared as a character witness in the civil rape trial of the filmmaker Paul Haggis, a friend. Matthew Schneier, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025 The defense’s case focused on emphasizing Neely’s threatening behavior, character witnesses from Penny’s time in the US Marines and challenges to the medical cause of Neely’s death. Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024 Along with Penny’s sister and mother, four other character witnesses were called by the defense to testify to Penny’s empathy, honesty and integrity. Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for character witness 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of character witness was circa 1832

Dictionary Entries Near character witness

Cite this Entry

“Character witness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/character%20witness. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Legal Definition

character witness

see witness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!