hearing
Americannoun
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the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived.
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the act of perceiving sound.
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opportunity to be heard.
to grant a hearing.
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an instance or a session in which testimony and arguments are presented, especially before an official, as a judge in a lawsuit.
- Synonyms:
- consultation, conference, audience
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a preliminary examination of the basic evidence and charges by a magistrate to determine whether criminal procedures, a trial, etc., are justified.
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earshot.
Their conversation was beyond my hearing.
noun
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the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived
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an opportunity to be listened to
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the range within which sound can be heard; earshot
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the investigation of a matter by a court of law, esp the preliminary inquiry into an indictable crime by magistrates
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a formal or official trial of an action or lawsuit
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hearing
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at hear, -ing 1
Explanation
Hearing is the sense that allows you to distinguish sounds with your ears. Dogs have a particularly acute sense of hearing, and they can hear sounds pitched too high for humans to hear. You use your hearing when you attend a concert, listen to an audio book, or talk to a friend on the phone. Another kind of hearing is a legal process at which people state a case in front of a judge, so she can decide whether or not it should be presented at a trial with a jury. This kind of hearing gets its name from the idea that the court is "listening" to the evidence.
Vocabulary lists containing hearing
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The committee says it plans to release a transcript soon after the hearing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Shortly after his father's hearing commenced on 23 February, Sebastian Duterte condemned it.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Duterte was cleared fit for an earlier hearing that confirmed the charges against him, but he did not appear in person, his defence team saying he was not mentally sharp enough to follow proceedings.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
I suspect his company would not appreciate hearing that statement.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
I was still hearing it again in my head when we were back upstairs in our attic room that night, huddled under our blankets.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
