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Glite Dictionary
🗣️ Not first-hand 🗣️ A rumor
hearsay

hearsay

38 7.7
Information from other people rather than from direct experience
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɪrˌseɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : de oídas
  • Without any evidence, this is merely hearsay.
  • hearsay evidence
  • hearsay information
  • hearsay exception

That sounds super hearsay Ish and I say like look I don't want to side with Jonathan here because he killed someone but I don't think that's true.

Examples

  • The lawyer argued that the witness's testimony was based on hearsay and should not be accepted.

  • No American court admits hearsay evidence, except under special, unusual, and limited circumstances.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Marshal, this court is not concerned with hearsay evidence.

    Hang 'em High (1968)

  • Hearsay evidence continues to be permitted, so long as it is relevant, material, and reliable.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Some participants referred to hearsay and second-hand experiences that shaped their beliefs about vaccinations.

    Academic text (2014)

  • In many cases, hearsay can lead to misunderstandings if it is not verified.

  • During the trial, the judge dismissed the hearsay as it was not directly witnessed.

Synonyms

hearsay evidence
vshearsay
  • Specialized
3 8.1

Information given in court about what someone else said that courts usually do not allow

is general indirect information received from others rather than firsthand
indirect evidence
vshearsay
1 5.8

A clue that does not prove a fact directly but makes it seem likely

focuses on information from others rather than on inferential proof
third hand
vshearsay
1 7.4

Information told by someone who heard it from someone else

is neutral indirect reporting, not necessarily unreliable or informal

Antonyms

firsthand
167 3.5

From direct personal experience rather than from someone else

direct evidence
  • Specialized
18 3.2

Proof that clearly shows a fact is true, such as an eyewitness report

Compounds

hearsay evidence
  • Specialized
3 8.1

Information given in court about what someone else said that courts usually do not allow

hearsay rule
  • Specialized
1 9.3

A rule that stops statements made outside court from being used as evidence

gossip and hearsay
  • Informal
3.3

Rumors people tell that are not proven true

How Direct

direct
574 1.0
eyewitness
235 3.2
reported
  • Formal
3.0
secondhand
16 4.0
hearsay
  • Specialized
38 7.7
to rumor
  • US
74 3.9

Surface Forms

hearsay positive

Morphology

hearsay = hear + say (transparent) = hear + say

Adjectival use denotes information that is heard and reported rather than first-hand; the compound's logic is clear.

Etymology

Hearsay as an adjective follows the same idea: it describes information that someone 'heard' another person 'say'. Because the word is made from hear + say, calling evidence 'hearsay' means it was not seen or checked directly.