Hearing is the sense that lets you detect sound, or a formal meeting where people present information or arguments to a decision-maker.
From the verb “hear” plus the noun-forming “-ing.” The legal and official sense grew from the idea of listening to evidence or testimony.
It’s striking that the same word covers both a body sense and a courtroom ritual. A “hearing” is literally a time when those in power are supposed to listen carefully—at least in theory.
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