hearsay

[heer-sey]

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.

adjective

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

   hearsay knowledge;

   a hearsay report.

hearsay

/ ˈhɪəˌseɪ /

noun

1. gossip; rumour

hearsay

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hearsay¹

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

Example Sentences

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

The police chief in Tanzania's main city of Dar es Salaam disputed Mwangi's account and told the BBC they were "opinions" and "hearsay" coming from activists.

From BBC

And according to government documents, he has dismissed the information given to police against him as "hearsay".

From BBC

Related Words

• gossip