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Which of these is a report?

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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.

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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

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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

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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)

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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

America’s 50 biggest philanthropists donated $22.4 billion to charity in 2025, according to a report from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

The report will look in closer detail at how hosting the games could work.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Residents of rural areas are waiting longer for everything from prescriptions to bills, a report published in September by the Postal Service’s inspector general said.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

The practice, according to the report issued by commissioner Rob Manfred, was refined during the regular season and extended “throughout the postseason.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

HOLOCOM: Shale Sabio, please report to laboratory A2122 immediately.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Data from the CDC reports there have been 42 outbreaks this year, there have been at least 4,410 confirmed measles cases as of Oct.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

The Metropolitan Police says it is investigating reports that a letter was sent to one of its specialist units in 2018 containing allegations about Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Beverly Hills police have taken reports of stolen “Judy” and “David” yard signs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media covering Israel and the Palestinian territories, said it was "deeply alarmed" by false media reports about Bader.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

By the time I retired in 1986, after thirty-three years at Langley, I had authored or coauthored twenty-six research reports and tutored countless students.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

It has reported that Ross said his words were not meant to be taken seriously.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

“Obsession” became the biggest box office surprise of this year, netting over $523 million worldwide on a reported $750,000 budget.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

ProPublica didn’t find any association between RTO and higher rates of late ballots in Wisconsin, even though clerks reported delays involving mail-in ballots cast in its state election, held this spring.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

South Korea's Yonhap news agency also reported, citing an unidentified government source, that Kim had arrived in the northeastern Chinese city "earlier in the day".

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

Lucinda took Mira’s papery thin wrist in her own hands and quickly reported, “Her pulse is weak, but it’s steady.”

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Across books, news reporting, social media, and spoken language, words associated with safety appeared much more frequently than those associated with danger.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

I’d feel tremendous pressure to stop interviewing and reporting on politicians.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

"And doing something, breaking away from the old custom of not reporting these things to the police."

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Roy had more money available for the campaign’s final stretch, reporting about $366,000, compared with $213,000 for McKinney.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

On December 29, Rey writes, “Today, my superior issued a certificate of mental disturbance, reporting general delirium and requesting specialized care in an asylum.”

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

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Related Words

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

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