Added 9 October 2026
hearsay
/ˈhɪəseɪ/ noun
In Latin: audītiō, rūmor Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hearsay at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Information that was heard by one person about another that cannot be adequately substantiated.
based on hearsay
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Evidence based on the reports of others, which is normally inadmissible because it was not made under oath, rather than on personal knowledge.
dismiss hearsay
- An out-of-court statement offered in court to prove the truth of the matter asserted (or the in-court testimony which recites such a statement), which is normally inadmissible (because it is not subject to cross-examination) unless it falls under one of a number of exceptions.
Origin
From Middle English hyere-zigginge (1340), here sey (ca. 1438), from the phrase heren seien (“to hear [people] say”). Compare equally old Middle High German hœrsagen (14th c.), whence modern Hörensagen.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)