hearsay evidence

American

noun

Law.

testimony based on what a witness has heard from another person rather than on direct personal knowledge or experience.

hearsay evidence British

noun

law evidence based on what has been reported to a witness by others rather than what he has himself observed or experienced (not generally admissible as evidence)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hearsay evidence

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The judge said hearsay evidence could be considered, but jurors should be "careful" as it had not been given under oath and should "not convict the defendant mainly in reliance on it."

From BBC

"If they were here, I would engage them, I would ask them what are they saying, what do they mean... In law, those things are called hearsay or hearsay evidence," Jumanne Muliro told the BBC.

From BBC

More liberal rules allowing hearsay evidence allowed lawyers for the Brown and Goldman families to use excerpts from the Nicole’s diaries.

From Los Angeles Times

A judge has ruled that hearsay evidence used in the prosecution of Soldier F over Bloody Sunday in 1972 can be used at his trial.

From BBC

The judge is hearing from witnesses as he weighs what hearsay evidence can be used against the defendant, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who is accused of plotting the bombing of the warship in Oct.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023