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

Explanation

Ever hear someone say something so juicy you decide to tell other people about it, even if you don't know if it's true or not? Admit it. That hearsay, or gossip, is precisely how rumors get started. Hearsay is one of those awesome words that tell us its definition right up front. You don't have to figure it out by hearsay, or word of mouth, the definition is right there — when you hear someone say a rumor, that's hearsay.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hearsay

Two versions of Swift emerge from the mostly ungenerous hearsay about what happened at MSG that day, both building on longstanding narratives.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Robinson's defence team objected repeatedly during the first two days of the preliminary hearing to video exhibits and different testimony on grounds including hearsay.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Any freshman police officer would know this vague, uncorroborated, double hearsay would never be enough to obtain a warrant to conduct a search or take custody of anyone.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

Whether the episode amounted to anything beyond hearsay amid the ubiquitous sense of mass confusion and despair remains a question mark.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

I proceeded to ask him if he knew the fastest way to Bonthe, an island in the south of Sierra Leone and one of the safest places at that time, according to hearsay.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

Related Words

• gossip