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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• hearingless adjective
• prehearing noun
• unhearing adjective

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.

Example Sentences

The hearing came amid news that ICE was pausing warehouse purchases and reexamining contracts signed under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

Johnson's mother, Sue Johnson, and his fiancee Ryan Wolfe were among family members who joined the hearing on a video-link from the US.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

"It may be that under Warsh, we're going to see less Fed transparency, less Fed communication than we had in the past," he said, referring to Warsh's confirmation hearing testimony.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

But within hours of the incident, bipartisan leaders of the House Oversight Committee demanded a hearing on the agency’s security plans for the dinner.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

But then I notice Lisa-Marie Anne running toward us, her curly blonde hair flying in the wind, and wish I was still hearing about my brother’s career goals.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• audit
• conference
• consultation
• discussion
• inquiry
• interview
• investigation
• meeting
• negotiation
• presentation
• reception
• review
• test
• trial