a second eyewitness

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a second eyewitness" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to an additional person who has witnessed an event, typically in contexts such as legal discussions, news reports, or investigations. Example: "The police interviewed a second eyewitness who provided crucial details about the incident."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

His testimony was confirmed by a second eyewitness, who added that an officer in a military jeep escorting the BUK spoke with a Muscovite accent.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"A complainant of child sexual abuse whose allegation has not been corroborated by confession by their abuser or a second 'credible' eyewitness is necessarily disempowered and subjected to ongoing traumatisation".

The Guardian

Second, eyewitness are likely to encode and therefore to remember obvious, distinctive, and important features of events and less likely to remember detailed, non-distinctive, and unimportant features as obvious, distinctive, and important features are typically remembered better [2],[3].

Plosone

These subgroups were distinguished by a third variable, eyewitness of event.

BMJ Open

A star on the London stage, mistress of a Georgia plantation, friend to every important American writer from Washington Irving to Henry James, playwright, poet, novelist, memoirist, Kemble is best remembered today for her "Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation," the first eyewitness account to condemn slavery as institutionalized concubinage.

The New York Times - Books

This month, Harvill publishes A Dirty War by Anna Politkovskaya, the first eyewitness account by a Russian journalist of events in the Chechen war and how the Russian government attempted to manipulate media coverage of the conflict.

The Guardian - Books

PAGE A4 Early Holocaust Voice Dies Jan Karski, a Pole who carried the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to a mostly disbelieving West, was 86.

The New York Times

Davies' account of the night four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in a terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi has been challenged since he appeared Oct. 27 on "60 Minutes," in an interview CBS billed as "the first eyewitness account from a westerner" on the ground that night.

Huffington Post

This is a tough book, shaped by Grossman's own experience – his mother was among 20,000 Jews murdered in Berdichev in 1941 – and his time as a war correspondent, during which he wrote one of the first eyewitness accounts of a Nazi extermination camp.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

B1 ARTS & IDEAS B9-18 SPOBITUARIESOBITUARIES C15-16 Jan Karski A liaison officer of the Polish underground who infiltrated the Warsaw Ghetto and a German concentration camp and carried the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to a mostly disbelieving West, he was 86.

The New York Times

The chilling testimony from Ms. Dane and the other survivor, Anthony Veader, were the first eyewitness accounts of a casual get-together that turned into a bloodbath.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a second eyewitness", ensure clarity by specifying what new information or perspective this witness provides compared to the first.

Common error

Avoid using "a second eyewitness" when their testimony merely repeats the first. Ensure their account adds unique value or corroboration to justify highlighting them.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a second eyewitness" functions as a noun phrase, specifically identifying an additional individual who has directly observed an event. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

7%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a second eyewitness" refers to an additional observer who can provide firsthand information about an event. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct. While relatively rare, its usage is most common in news and media, science, and encyclopedic contexts. When employing this phrase, ensure the second eyewitness offers unique corroboration or additional details, avoiding mere repetition of existing accounts. Alternatives include "an additional witness" or "a corroborating witness", depending on the intended emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an additional witness

Replaces "second" with "additional", emphasizing the supplementary nature of the witness.

a further eyewitness

Emphasizes that this is an additional eyewitness beyond the initial one.

a confirming witness

Highlights the act of confirmation provided by the witness's testimony.

a secondary eyewitness

Uses "secondary" to indicate the witness's testimony is supplemental.

a corroborating witness

Focuses on the supportive role of the witness in confirming existing information.

a validating eyewitness

Focuses on how the eyewitness helps establish the validity of an event.

an independent eyewitness

Stresses the unbiased and unaffiliated nature of the second witness.

a supporting witness

Highlights the supportive role of this eyewitness in bolstering a case or account.

another observer

Uses a more general term, "observer", instead of the legal term "eyewitness".

a backup witness

Presents the eyewitness as an alternative resource or safety net.

FAQs

How is "a second eyewitness" different from "another witness"?

"A second eyewitness" specifically implies that there is a prior witness, while "another witness" simply means there's an additional witness without directly referencing a first one. The choice depends on whether you need to emphasize the sequential nature of the testimonies.

When should I use "a corroborating witness" instead of "a second eyewitness"?

Use "a corroborating witness" when you want to emphasize that the witness's account supports or confirms previous information or testimonies. "A second eyewitness" simply indicates an additional witness, irrespective of whether their account corroborates existing information.

Is it always necessary to specify if an eyewitness is "a second" one?

No, it's not always necessary. Specifying "a second eyewitness" is useful when the sequence of witnesses or the fact that there are multiple independent accounts is important to the narrative or legal context. If the number of witnesses isn't crucial, simply referring to "an eyewitness" may suffice.

What are some situations where specifying "a second eyewitness" would be important?

Specifying "a second eyewitness" is crucial in legal proceedings, investigative journalism, or any situation where establishing the reliability and validity of an event requires multiple, independent confirmations. For instance, if the first eyewitness account is contested, a second one strengthens the case.