Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "shahidi" shine wanda aka kashe ko kuma ya sha wahala ƙwarai don imani, ka'ida, ko dalili. Yana kuma iya nufin wanda yake son ya jimre wahala ko mutuwa maimakon ya daina gaskatawa ko ƙa’idodinsa. A wasu wuraren kuma, kalmar tana iya nuni ga wanda ake sha’awa ko kuma a girmama shi don jajircewarsa ko sadaukar da kai wajen fuskantar wahala ko wahala.
