What is the definition of hearsay in legal terms?

Hearsay is defined as a statement that is offered in court to prove the truth of the matter asserted within that statement. This means that the statement is being used to establish that what is said in it is actually true, which is the essence of hearsay. The principle behind the hearsay rule is that such statements are often unreliable because the original speaker is not present in court to be cross-examined, making it difficult for the court to assess the credibility of the statement.

The option that describes hearsay accurately focuses specifically on the element of using a statement not made under oath or in a court setting to establish truth, capturing the legal definition that restricts certain types of evidence to avoid potential unfairness or inaccuracies in legal proceedings. This highlights the purpose of the hearsay rule: to prevent second-hand information from being used as evidence without proper scrutiny.