To wit is a phrase meaning "the following comes to mind." The phrase is sometimes used to introduce examples for a more general statement. It may follow a comma, or form the beginning of a new sentence. A colon or a dash usually separates this phrase from the examples that it introduces.
For example, the syllabus of United States v. Gonzalez-Lopez, 548 U.S. 140 (2006) states: “The right to counsel of choice, however, commands not that a trial be fair, but that a particular guarantee of fairness be provided - to wit, that the accused be defended by the counsel he believes to be best.”
See also: Viz.
[Last updated in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]