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Hearsay for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: 'hir,seɪ

What does Hearsay really mean?

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Hearsay is a word that describes something you hear from someone else, but you're not really sure if it's true or not. It's like when your friend tells you a story about something they heard from someone else, and you don't know if it's accurate or just made up. Have you ever played the game of telephone, where one person whispers a message to another, and it goes around a circle until it reaches the last person? Well, hearsay is a bit like that game, where the message can get changed or misunderstood along the way.

Let me give you an example to help you understand better. Imagine you're sitting with your friends at lunch, and someone starts a rumor about your favorite teacher. They say that your teacher is giving out extra homework over the weekend. You didn't hear it directly from your teacher, but from your friend who heard it from someone else. That's hearsay! You can't be absolutely sure if it's true or if it's just a rumor.

Hearsay can also be used in legal situations. It refers to when someone gives evidence about what they have heard from another person, rather than what they have firsthand knowledge of. For example, if someone stands up in court and says, "I heard someone else say that they saw the suspect steal the purse," that would be considered hearsay because they are not the original witness or source of the information.

So, in a nutshell, hearsay is like a game of telephone, where information can get distorted, and you're not sure if it's accurate or just a rumor. It can also refer to when people talk about things they heard from someone else in legal situations. Just remember, it's always important to check the facts and not rely too much on hearsay!


Revised and Fact checked by John Doe on 2023-10-29 09:13:33

Hearsay In a sentece

Learn how to use Hearsay inside a sentece

  • When someone tells you that they saw a talking dog in the park, but you didn't see it yourself, that's hearsay.
  • If a friend tells you that their cousin won the lottery, but you don't see any evidence of it, that's hearsay.
  • If your brother says that he overheard your parents talking about getting a puppy, but you didn't hear it directly, that's hearsay.
  • If your classmate says that the teacher cancelled the test tomorrow, but you didn't hear the teacher say it, that's hearsay.
  • If someone tells you that they heard on the news that aliens have landed on Earth, but you didn't see any news report about it, that's hearsay.

Hearsay Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Hearsay Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Hearsay Similar Words

Words that similar to the original word, but are not synonyms.