1. plural of hearsay; information received from other people that one cannot directly verify; gossip or rumor
Usage: typically used in legal contexts to refer to secondhand evidence; often considered unreliable because it is not based on direct knowledge

Examples

• The witness's testimony was dismissed because it consisted mainly of hearsays rather than facts she had personally observed.
• In court, hearsays are generally not admissible as evidence unless they fall under specific exceptions.
• Don't believe all the hearsays you hear around the office; they're often exaggerated.
• The investigation was hampered by hearsays and unverified claims from unreliable sources.
• She based her opinion on hearsays instead of doing her own research.
• Legal standards require that hearsays be corroborated by direct evidence before they can be used in a trial.