hearsay
English · Thesaurus
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hearsay
- /ˈhɪəseɪ/ UK
- /ˈhɪɹˌseɪ/ Canada, US
- /ˈhɪəsæɪ/ Australia
Where it comes from
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.
noun hearsays
- Information that was heard by one person about another that cannot be adequately substantiated. based on hearsay
- 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.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: indirect, rumor, rumour, report, reputation, admission, gossip, chatter, scandal, inadmissible, iil, bruit, wind, whisper, grapevine, rumor mill
Translations
Every language
noun information that was heard by one person about another
| Español | rumores, habladurías, habladuría |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 전문 jeonmun, 소문 somun |
| 日本語 | 伝聞 denbun, うわさ uwasa |
| 中文 | 傳聞 /传闻 chuánwén, 風聞 /风闻 fēngwén, 流言 liúyán |
| Português | diz que diz, diz que diz que, boato |
| Français | ouï-dire, on-dit, rumeur |
| Deutsch | Hörensagen, Gerücht |
| Italiano | sentito dire, diceria, pettegolezzo |
| Русский | информа́ция из вторы́х рук informácija iz vtorýx ruk, молва́ molvá, слух slux, то́лки tólki |
noun (law) evidence based on the reports of others rather than on personal knowledge
| Español | pruebas de oídas, testimonio de oídas, evidencia por oídas |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 전문증거 jeonmunjeunggeo |
| 日本語 | 伝聞証拠 denbun shōko |
| 中文 | 傳聞證據 /传闻证据 chuánwén zhèngjù |
| Português | testemunho de ouvidos |
| Français | ouï-dire, on-dit |
| Deutsch | Hörensagen |
| Italiano | sentita persona |
| Русский | показа́ния с чужи́х слов pokazánija s čužíx slov |
noun (law) an out-of-court statement offered in court for the truth of the matter asserted
| Français | ouï-dire |
|---|
Talk about this word "hearsay." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hearsay. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. hearsay. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hearsay "hearsay." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hearsay.Cite this
@misc{hearsay_2026,
title = {hearsay},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hearsay},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
