hearsay
n. uncountablen. information that you heard from someone else but do not know is true for sure. In a court of law, this kind of talk is usually not allowed as evidence because the person who originally said it is not there to be questioned.
n. information received from others that cannot be substantiated; unverified rumor. In legal contexts, it refers to an out-of-court statement offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted, which is generally inadmissible due to the inability to cross-examine the original declarant.
I cannot believe that story because it is just hearsay.
The judge told the jury to ignore the witness's comment, ruling that it was inadmissible hearsay.
While the journalist suspected the minister was involved in the scandal, she refused to publish the story based on mere hearsay without documented proof or a direct quote from a primary source.
From Middle English hyere-zigginge (1340), here sey (ca. 1438), from the phrase heren seien (“to hear [people] say”). Compare equally old Middle High German hœrsagen (14th c.), whence modern Hörensagen.
Frequently follows the verbs 'be' or 'remain', or functions as the object of 'rely on'.