hearsay
HEER-say
/ˈhɪər.seɪ/
Information received from other people that one cannot adequately substantiate; secondhand evidence.
In legal contexts, hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted and is generally inadmissible.
The story behind the word. Formed in Middle English around the 15th century by simply combining the verbs 'hear' and 'say'. It literally means 'that which one hears someone say'. English law developed strict rules against it because the original speaker is not in court to be cross-examined.
Word relationships
- rumor: Rumor is casual gossip among people, while hearsay is a formal legal term for out-of-court statements presented as evidence.
- gossip: Gossip is unverified social chat, whereas hearsay specifically describes secondhand information offered in testimony.
- firsthand account: A firsthand account comes directly from the eye witness who observed the event.
Commonly confused with
- testimony: Testimony is direct sworn statement in court, whereas hearsay is repeating what someone outside court said.
Collocations
- hearsay evidence
- rule against hearsay
- double hearsay
Example sentences
- "The judge sustained the objection, ruling that what the witness claimed her neighbor told her was inadmissible hearsay." Judicial ruling on evidence
Memory hook
You HEAR them SAY it second-hand; you didn't see it yourself. Heard someone say it.
When not to use
Do not confuse hearsay with perjury; hearsay is repeating what someone else said, whereas perjury is lying under oath.
Fun facts
- The rule against hearsay is one of the core elements of common law trials, created to ensure accused persons can confront their actual accusers.
Related words
Explore more words
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.