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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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2024
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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 23 Feb. 2025.
Legal Definition
character witness
see witness
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