hearsay evidence

noun

: evidence based not on a witness's personal knowledge but on another's statement not made under oath : a statement made out of court and not under oath which is offered as proof that what is stated is true

Examples of hearsay evidence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One seeks to block prosecutors from relying on certain hearsay evidence during the preliminary hearing, while the other challenges Graf's decision not to require key witness Lance Twiggs to testify in person. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Defense attorney Michael Burt had argued a video deposition prosecutors conducted with a key witness is hearsay evidence and should not be admissible, as the witness could not be subject to cross-examination. Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 22 June 2026 Graf said in his ruling from the bench that, because of the lower bar for the preliminary hearing, hearsay evidence would be allowed to be used by the prosecution against Robinson to establish probable cause. Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 22 June 2026 In papers filed at the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday, Ramaphosa asked the court to review and set aside the panel’s 2022 report because its conclusions were based on hearsay evidence and didn’t follow proper procedures. S'thembile Cele, Bloomberg, 26 May 2026 Such testimony would normally be prohibited by the rule against hearsay evidence, which exists to screen out unverifiable statements. David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Whitaker was visibly frustrated while making these statements due to Love introducing hearsay evidence while questioning a witness. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 1 Oct. 2024 More liberal rules allowing hearsay evidence allowed lawyers for the Brown and Goldman families to use excerpts from Nicole’s diaries. Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 Heather Honey, who owns a Pennsylvania company that worked on the state senate’s partisan election audit last year, testified about her failure to obtain public records and introduced hearsay evidence from affidavits. Ray Stern, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hearsay evidence was in 1753

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Cite this Entry

“Hearsay evidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearsay%20evidence. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

hearsay evidence

noun
: a statement made out of court and not under oath that is offered as proof that what is stated is true

Legal Definition

hearsay evidence

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