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1. (law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
    
2. An opportunity to state your case and be heard
   "they condemned him without a hearing"
   - audience
    
3. The range within which a voice can be heard
   - earshot, earreach
    
4. The act of hearing attentively
   "they make good music--you should give them a hearing"
   - listening
    
5. A session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken
   "the investigative committee will hold hearings in Chicago"
    
6. The ability to hear; the auditory faculty
   "his hearing was impaired"
   - audition, auditory sense, sense of hearing, auditory modality

1. Able to perceive sound

1. Perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
    
2. Get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
   - learn, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, discover, see
    
3. Examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process
   "The jury had heard all the evidence"
   - try
    
4. Receive a communication from someone
   "We heard nothing from our son for five years"
    
5. Listen and pay attention
   "We must hear the expert before we make a decision"
   - listen, take heed

Derived forms: hearings

See also: auditive, hearable, hearer, quick-eared, sharp-eared

Type of: center [US], centre [Brit, Cdn], chance, comprehend, concentrate, examine, exteroception, focus, legal proceeding, modality, opportunity, perceive, perception, pick up, pore, probe, proceeding, proceedings, range, reach, receive, rivet, sense modality, sensing, sensory system, session

Antonym: deaf

Encyclopedia: Hear Hear, hear Hear,hear