Hearsay is a term used in the legal context to describe a statement made by someone who is not present in court or otherwise available to testify, which is offered as evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted in the statement. In other words, hearsay is an out-of-court statement that is being used to prove the truth of what is being said in court, but the person who made the statement is not present to be cross-examined. Hearsay is generally not admissible as evidence in court, because it is considered unreliable and lacks the guarantees of accuracy that are present when a witness testifies under oath and is subject to cross-examination. However, there are many exceptions to the hearsay rule, and in some cases hearsay may be admitted as evidence.