Scholars and consultants have offered a multitude of definitions of listening. One group defines listening as an ongoing, nonstatic process by which spoken language is converted into meanings in the mind. The other group, the sequentialists, view listening as a linear sequence of events in which one aspect is dependent upon a preceding aspect. Unfortunately, there appears to be some confusion among many of the definers regarding their understanding of "process." A third group of definers avoids this process problem by stating that listening is four connected activities: sensing, interpreting, evaluating, and responding. An examination of several listening definitions reveals at least ten different conceptual components of listening: hearing, interpreting, understanding, assigning meaning, acting to the sound stimuli, selectively receiving the sound stimuli, remembering, purposefully attending to the sound stimuli, analyzing information presented, and using past experiences as a filter of the communicated information. Listening is a complex activity that should not be simplified at the expense of a number of clearly important concepts. A three-page list of references is included. (HOD)