hearing

[ heer-ing ]

noun

1. the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived.
2. the act of perceiving sound.
3. opportunity to be heard:

   to grant a hearing.

4. an instance or a session in which testimony and arguments are presented, especially before an official, as a judge in a lawsuit.

   Synonyms: consultation, conference, audience

5. a preliminary examination of the basic evidence and charges by a magistrate to determine whether criminal procedures, a trial, etc., are justified.
6. earshot:

   Their conversation was beyond my hearing.

hearing

/ ˈhɪərɪŋ /

noun

1. the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived audio
2. an opportunity to be listened to
3. the range within which sound can be heard; earshot
4. the investigation of a matter by a court of law, esp the preliminary inquiry into an indictable crime by magistrates
5. a formal or official trial of an action or lawsuit

Other Words From

• hearing·less adjective
• pre·hearing noun
• un·hearing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hearing¹

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; hear, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Smith was convicted of murder, but under South Carolina law at the time she was eligible for a parole hearing every two years after serving 30 years in prison.

From BBC

Commander Murphy told the hearing that to call their appearance a surprise was a "slight understatement".

From BBC

She said: “If you look at the breadth of the abuse, this didn’t just happen in Harrods. I’m already hearing from survivors who are saying this happened in other areas.”

From BBC

We plan to publish some of the responses, but we won’t publish any part of yours without following up with you, verifying your information and hearing back from you.

From New York Times

His hearing on Wednesday comes one day after the sentencing of 45 pro-democracy campaigners - part of a group known as the Hong Kong 47 - in the city’s largest trial under the national security law.

From BBC

Related Words

• audit
• conference
• consultation
• discussion
• inquiry
• interview
• investigation
• meeting
• negotiation
• presentation
• reception
• review
• test
• trial