Listen, for instance, to gossip (7)
I believe the answer is:
hearsay
'gossip' is the definition.
(hearsay is a kind of gossip)
'listen for instance' is the wordplay.
'listen' becomes 'hear' (I've seen this before).
'for instance' becomes 'say'.
'hear'+'say'='HEARSAY'
'to' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for hearsay that I've seen before include "Based on report given by others" , "Common talk" , "Rumour or gossip - inadmissible as evidence" , "Gossip or rumour - not allowed as evidence" , "speculation" .)