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Synonyms

hearing

American  
[heer-ing] / ˈhɪər ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived.

  2. the act of perceiving sound.

  3. opportunity to be heard.

    to grant a hearing.

  4. 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

  5. a preliminary examination of the basic evidence and charges by a magistrate to determine whether criminal procedures, a trial, etc., are justified.

  6. earshot.

    Their conversation was beyond my hearing.
hearing British  
/ ˈhɪərɪŋ /

noun

  1. the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived

  2. an opportunity to be listened to

  3. the range within which sound can be heard; earshot

  4. the investigation of a matter by a court of law, esp the preliminary inquiry into an indictable crime by magistrates

  5. a formal or official trial of an action or lawsuit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • hearingless adjective
  • prehearing noun
  • unhearing adjective

Etymology

Origin of hearing

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; hear, -ing 1

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.

A county court hearing in May 2024 highlighted Bush had debts amounting to almost £55,000, including to local councils for unpaid cremation and burial fees.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

At his Senate confirmation hearing in November, Selig told senators he would defer to the courts on whether or not sports prediction markets should be regulated by the states as gambling.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

The next hearing in the civil lawsuit Nacua is contesting is scheduled on Aug. 3.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

In another particularly grotesque moment of that hearing, Bondi refused to acknowledge the row of Epstein’s survivors sitting behind her.

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

I lay awake a while longer, watching a searchlight sweep the rear wall in long regular arcs, hearing the distant calls of soldiers patrolling the walls.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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.