hearing
Americannoun
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the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived.
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the act of perceiving sound.
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opportunity to be heard.
to grant a hearing.
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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
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a preliminary examination of the basic evidence and charges by a magistrate to determine whether criminal procedures, a trial, etc., are justified.
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earshot.
Their conversation was beyond my hearing.
noun
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the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived
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an opportunity to be listened to
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the range within which sound can be heard; earshot
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the investigation of a matter by a court of law, esp the preliminary inquiry into an indictable crime by magistrates
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a formal or official trial of an action or lawsuit
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hearing
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at hear, -ing 1
Explanation
Hearing is the sense that allows you to distinguish sounds with your ears. Dogs have a particularly acute sense of hearing, and they can hear sounds pitched too high for humans to hear. You use your hearing when you attend a concert, listen to an audio book, or talk to a friend on the phone. Another kind of hearing is a legal process at which people state a case in front of a judge, so she can decide whether or not it should be presented at a trial with a jury. This kind of hearing gets its name from the idea that the court is "listening" to the evidence.
Vocabulary lists containing hearing
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.
"We were hearing more and more from our subscribers at the Philharmonic and the Chamber Music Society that they weren't renewing their subscriptions because of dementia, as their family members were impacted," she told AFP.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
He assured the family that Jacob's inquest was now a "priority" with an "urgent review" of all documentation already received by his office, and suggested a date for a pre-inquest hearing next month.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
“It’s above ground,” Justice Department lawyer Yaakov Roth said during a hearing on whether to allow work to continue.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
Many members of the public expressed support in a public hearing Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
I can picture us being Elders at a powwow, me still hearing about it.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
