Trivia Time

Which of these is a report?

Test Your Knowledge

report

American  

[ri-pawrt, -pohrt] / rɪˈpɔrt, -ˈpoʊrt /

noun

• reports
  plural

1. an account or statement describing in detail an event, situation, or the like, usually as the result of observation, inquiry, etc..

   a report on the peace conference;

   a medical report on the patient.

   Synonyms:

   story, description

2. a statement or announcement.

   Synonyms:

   dispatch, bulletin

3. a widely circulated statement or item of news; rumor; gossip.

4. an account of a speech, debate, meeting, etc., especially as taken down for publication.

5. a loud noise, as from an explosion.

   the report of a distant cannon.

   Synonyms:

   detonation, shot

6. a statement of a student's grades, level of achievement, or academic standing for or during a prescribed period of time.

7. Computers. output, especially printed, containing organized information.

8. a statement of a judicial opinion or decision, or of a case argued and determined in a court of justice.

9. Law. reports, a collection of adjudications.

10. repute; reputation; fame.

    a man of bad report.

---

verb (used with object)

• reports,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reported,
  past participle,  past
• reporting
  present participle

1. to carry and repeat, as an answer or message; repeat, as what one has heard.

   Synonyms:

   relay

2. to relate, as what has been learned by observation or investigation.

   Synonyms:

   relay

3. to give or render a formal account or statement of.

   to report a deficit.

4. to send back (a bill, amendment, etc.) to a legislative body with a formal report outlining findings and recommendations (often followed byout ).

   The committee reported out the bill.

5. to make a charge against (a person), as to a superior.

   I intend to report him to the dean for cheating.

   Synonyms:

   accuse

6. to make known the presence, condition, or whereabouts of.

   to report a ship missing.

7. to present (oneself ) to a person in authority, as in accordance with requirements.

8. to take down (a speech, lecture, etc.) in writing.

9. to write an account of (an event, situation, etc.), as for publication in a newspaper.

10. to relate or tell.

    Synonyms:

    repeat, detail, describe, recount, rehearse, narrate

verb (used without object)

• reports,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reported,
  past participle,  past
• reporting
  present participle

1. to prepare, make, or submit a report of something observed, investigated, or the like.

2. to serve or work as a reporter, as for a newspaper.

3. to make one's condition or whereabouts known, as to a person in authority.

   to report sick.

4. to present oneself duly, as at a place.

   to report to Room 101.

idioms

1. on report, (of personnel) under restriction pending disciplinary action.

report British  

/ rɪˈpɔːt /

noun

1. an account prepared for the benefit of others, esp one that provides information obtained through investigation and published in a newspaper or broadcast

2. a statement made widely known; rumour

   according to report, he is not dead

3. an account of the deliberations of a committee, body, etc

   a report of parliamentary proceedings

4. a statement on the progress, academic achievement, etc, of each child in a school, written by teachers and sent to the parents or guardian annually or each term

5. a written account of a case decided at law, giving the main points of the argument on each side, the court's findings, and the decision reached

6. comment on a person's character or actions; reputation

   he is of good report here

7. a sharp loud noise, esp one made by a gun

---

verb

1. to give an account (of); describe

2. to give an account of the results of an investigation (into)

   to report on housing conditions

3. (of a committee, legislative body, etc) to make a formal report on (a bill)

4. (tr) to complain about (a person), esp to a superior

   I'll report you to the teacher

5. (tr) to reveal information about (a fugitive, escaped prisoner, etc) esp concerning his whereabouts

6. (intr) to present oneself or be present at an appointed place or for a specific purpose

   report to the manager's office

7. (intr) to say or show that one is (in a certain state)

   to report fit

8. to be responsible to and under the authority of

   the plant manager reports to the production controller

9. (intr) to act as a reporter for a newspaper or for radio or television

10. law to take down in writing details of (the proceedings of a court of law) as a record or for publication

Usage

What is a basic definition of report? A report is a detailed account of something based on observation and research. Report is also used to mean to relay information or to appear at a destination as ordered. The word report has many other senses as a noun and a verb. A report is a paper, article, announcement, or similar account that contains detailed information that someone has gathered through observation, study, or other research. Sometimes, another noun is used with report to specify what the report is about. For example, students often write book reports in school in which they analyze books they have read.

• Real-life examples: Businesses often create budget reports so they can figure out how much money they have to spend. Scientists compile scientific reports in which they present the results of experiments. Sports journalists often compile injury reports that list all of the players who will miss games due to injuries.
• Used in a sentence: I listened to the weather report on the news to see if I needed to bring an umbrella. 

As a verb, report means to repeat or relay information that a person has heard from another source or has gathered themselves. People who report things (such as at a news agency) are called reporters.

• Real-life examples: A journalist’s job is to report information to the public. A spy’s job is to gather secret information and report it to their boss. Scientists will report things they have learned to scientific journals or to the news media.
• Used in a sentence: The tabloid magazine reported sightings of Bigfoot in the woods. 

Report is also used to mean to go to a specific place because you were ordered to.

• Used in a sentence: General Harris ordered the recruits to report to basic training in the morning.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prereport
  noun
• subreport
  noun
• overreport
  verb
• nonreportable
  adjective
• nonreported
  adjective
• quasi-reported
  adjective
• reportable
  adjective
• unreportable
  adjective
• unreported
  adjective
• well-reported
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reports
  plural

Participles

• reporting
  present
• reported
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• report
  simple
• reports
  simple
• have reported
  perfect
• has reported
  perfect
• am reporting
  progressive
• are reporting
  progressive
• is reporting
  progressive
• have been reporting
  perfect progressive
• has been reporting
  perfect progressive

Past

• reported
  simple
• had reported
  perfect
• was reporting
  progressive
• were reporting
  progressive
• had been reporting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will report
  simple
• will have reported
  perfect
• will be reporting
  progressive
• will have been reporting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of report

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb reporten, from Middle French reporter, Old French, from Latin reportāre “to carry back,” equivalent to re- re- + portāre “to carry” ( see port ⁵)

Explanation

When you report something, you tell what happened. After giving the details of your groundbreaking news story, you might end by saying, “...reporting live from Washington, D.C.” In addition to the action of telling, what gets told is also called a report. Your report on annual snowfall in New Mexico was brief but informative. Report also applies to calling the police or other authorities. You might not like the way your neighbor trims his poodle, but that doesn't mean you should report him for animal abuse.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

report reports reported reporting

The San Francisco-based company employed roughly 34,000 workers in more than 70 countries as of its most recent annual report filed at the end of last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

The number of employed people between the ages of 55 and 79 jumped from 33% to 44% between 1995 and 2018, according to a Congressional Budget Office report.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

The ADP report precedes additional jobs data from the Labor Department on Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

It said "loss of control" incidents had increased since its previous report in March and called for the government to introduce emergency powers to manage such incidents.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Mom sent Dad the doctor’s report, and I’ve told him a bazillion times that when I eat gluten, I feel sick.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

The aid organisation has been tracking all available reports of incidents affecting children in Gaza, including via UN personnel on the ground.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

The toll is evident in a bevy of accident reports in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

The two reports sometimes differ sharply month to month, but they head in the same direction over time.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation on Monday, following reports of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

They were used to getting reports about Mount St. Helens erupting—it had been erupting for a month and a half already.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Bloomberg first reported that the cut will bring Uber’s headcount to below 30,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Several acts of suspected sabotage have been reported in Germany in the past 24 hours alone, including two attacks on electricity substations, one in the east and one in the west near Cologne.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Bloomberg reported in June that Varonis was exploring options including a potential sale.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Participants reported their household income at three stages of adulthood, at the ages of 26, 43, and 53.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

The spray-painting incident at Ms. Hardy’s was reported to the cops.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Employers generally do not file Form 5500, and the financial institution handles much of the reporting.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Gold and lithium producers posted record profits while higher copper prices increased earnings for Sandfire and diversified miners BHP, Rio Tinto and South32, the broker says following the recent reporting season.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Elsewhere, "Posh finally makes some dosh" features next to a photo of Victoria Beckham, reporting on the improved fortunes of her previously ailing eponymous fashion label.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

She wrote in her report that “heavy metals, notably lead, zinc, copper, chromium, arsenic, and antimony, were detected above laboratory reporting limits.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

The Drone was reporting that gusty winds had sent it spiraling into the neighbor’s bean field.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• address
• announcement
• article
• communique
• description
• detail
• dispatch
• information
• message
• news
• note
• opinion
• paper
• picture
• record
• release
• statement
• summary
• word