hearing: Meaning and Definition of

hear•ing

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, esp. before an official, as a judge in a lawsuit.
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.