1. information received from other people that cannot be adequately substantiated; rumor
2. testimony based on what a witness has heard from another person rather than on direct personal knowledge
Usage: legal

Examples

• Don’t believe everything you hear – that’s just hearsay.
• The rumors about the company’s closure were based on hearsay.
• The judge ruled that hearsay evidence was not admissible in court.
• Her account was dismissed as hearsay since she wasn’t present at the meeting.
• We need facts, not hearsay, to make this decision.
• The newspaper refused to publish the story because it was based on hearsay.
• In legal proceedings, hearsay testimony is generally not allowed.