hearsay

American  

[heer-sey] / ˈhɪərˌseɪ /

noun

1. unverified, unofficial information gained or acquired from another and not part of one's direct knowledge.

   I pay no attention to hearsay.

   Synonyms:

   tittle-tattle, babble, scuttlebutt, talk

2. an item of idle or unverified information or gossip; rumor.

   a malicious hearsay.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by hearsay.

   hearsay knowledge;

   a hearsay report.

hearsay British  

/ ˈhɪəˌseɪ /

noun

1. gossip; rumour

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hearsay Cultural  

1. Information heard by one person about another. Hearsay is generally inadmissible as evidence in a court of law because it is based on the reports of others rather than on the personal knowledge of a witness.

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Etymology

Origin of hearsay

First recorded in 1525–35; originally in phrase by hear say, calque of Middle French par ouïr dire

Example Sentences

It will be fueled by correspondence, hearsay and accusations of the type that only law enforcement can compel and collect, and that are as a result usually kept private absent formal legal proceedings.

From The Wall Street Journal

It appears that investors only have passingly paid attention to my letters, and many have been clinging to various rumors and hearsay in place of analysis or original thought.

From Literature

But Jumanne Muliro, the commander of the Dar es Salaam police special zone, told the BBC at the time that their allegations were "hearsay" and asked them to present evidence for investigations.

From BBC

She added she was not willing to use "third hand information" when deciding whether Ms Peggie should return to her work and that she considered the claims hearsay.

From BBC

Dar es Salaam's police chief denied the allegations, saying they were "opinions" and "hearsay".

From BBC

Related Words

• gossip