reheard

Reheard is the past tense and past participle of the verb rehear, meaning to hear again. It is used to describe the act of listening to testimony, arguments, or evidence once more, and is especially common in legal contexts where a case is reconsidered after a motion for rehearing or after a remand. The noun form for the process is rehearing, while reheard describes the completed action.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from the prefix re- meaning again, attached to the verb hear. Because the base verb hear has the irregular past tense heard, the past tense and past participle of rehear are spelled reheard, giving examples such as “The court reheard the witnesses” or “The panel reheard the case.”

Usage notes: In legal writing, rehearing refers to the session or process of hearing a case again, often after a petition for such an action. If granted, a court may rehear the matter or rehear specific arguments and evidence. Outside law, reheard can simply describe listening to something again, such as reheard testimony or a reexamination of a recording.

See also: rehearing, appeal, remand, en banc. These terms relate to appellate review and the procedures by which a decision may be reconsidered or reviewed by a higher or larger panel.