Hearsay is defined as what?

• A. An out-of-court statement offered for truth.
• B. A statement made in court.
• C. An opinion by a lawyer.
• D. A recording of evidence.

Answer: (A)

Hearsay is defined as an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. The essential point is that the statement comes from someone other than the testifying witness and is being used to establish that the asserted fact is true, which is why cross-examination of the original speaker is typically not available. Because of that, hearsay is generally inadmissible unless a recognized exception applies.

Statements made in court aren’t hearsay because they’re presented as testimony under oath and can be cross-examined. An opinion by a lawyer isn’t hearsay for the same reason—it’s not being offered as proof of a factual statement from an outside source. A recording of evidence isn’t automatically hearsay; it depends on whether the content includes out-of-court statements used to prove truth.