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Law vocabulary · Evidence & Proof

Hearsay

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˈhɪəseɪ/nounCommon term

In law, hearsay means: A witness's report of what someone else said outside court, offered to prove that what that person said was true.

In Turkish: duyuma dayalı tanıklık, dolaylı beyan, kulaktan dolma bilgi

How it is used

Traditionally excluded in common law trials, especially before juries, but with many exceptions. In English civil cases hearsay is admissible, although it may carry less weight. Lawyers object: 'Objection, that's hearsay.' In everyday English the word also means rumour.

Example sentences

  1. The judge refused to admit the note because it was hearsay.

  2. What your neighbour told you about the accident is hearsay.

Common collocations

  • hearsay evidence
  • hearsay rule
  • exception to the hearsay rule
  • inadmissible hearsay
  • evidenceDocuments, objects, statements and other information that a court uses to decide which facts are true.
  • admissibleAllowed to be used in court as evidence, or accepted for examination by a court, because it meets the legal rules.
  • witnessA person who tells a court what they saw, heard or know about a case; also someone who watches a document being signed and then signs it too.
  • objectionA formal protest by a lawyer during a hearing that a question, a piece of evidence or a step in the procedure is not allowed under the rules.
  • testimonyA formal statement that a witness makes in court or in writing, usually under oath, about facts they know.

More terms: Evidence & Proof

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.