hearsay
hearsay Lexical Profile
hearsay Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Information received from other people that one cannot adequately substantiate; a rumor.
"We cannot make a major business decision based on mere hearsay and office gossip."
In law, the report of another person's words by a witness, which is usually disallowed as evidence in a court of law.
"The judge ruled the witness's statement inadmissible because it constituted hearsay."
• adjective
Based on or consisting of reports from other people rather than a witness's personal knowledge.
"The defense attorney objected immediately to the introduction of hearsay testimony."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'hearsay' (unverified rumor or secondhand testimony) with the near-homophone 'heresy' (a belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine).
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating to Middle English (circa 1300), formed as a compound of the verbs 'hear' and 'say' (originally representing the phrase 'to hear say', meaning 'to hear it said').