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rapport

American  
[ra-pawr, -pohr, ruh-] / ræˈpɔr, -ˈpoʊr, rə- /

noun

  1. relation; connection, especially harmonious or sympathetic relation.

    a teacher trying to establish close rapport with students.

    Synonyms:
    understanding, camaraderie, fellowship

rapport British  
/ ræˈpɔː /

noun

  1. (often foll by with) a sympathetic relationship or understanding See also en rapport

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of rapport

First recorded in 1530–40; from French, derivative of rapporter “to bring back, report,” equivalent to r(e)- re- + apporter ( Old French aporter, from Latin apportāre, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + portāre “to carry”; see port 5)

Explanation

Rapport is a good sense of understanding and trust. If you have good rapport with your neighbors, they won't mind if you kick your ball onto their property every now and then. If you have rapport with someone, you two communicate with trust and sympathy. The word is often used to mean good interaction between people in different positions or roles such as parent and teacher, teacher and student, doctor and patient, supervisor and worker, or speaker and audience. It is always important to establish rapport with people you come into contact with regularly. Pronounce this borrowed word from the French ra-POOR.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing rapport

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Curated by Nathan Rapport and Jonathan Osofsky, the group meets every other Friday for screenings of L.G.B.T.Q. films, both well-known and far out.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024

Giri was a deserving winner, defeating both Carlsen and world No. 2 GM Ding Liren of China, but he also got a crucial bit of good fortune against Rapport in the tournament’s final moments.

From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2023

The plan doesn’t include Stanford’s specific blueprints for the new campus, but Stanford spokesperson Luisa Rapport said it “sets specific conditions under which those detailed plans can be submitted in the future,” if approved.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2022

In “Spatial Rapport #1,” children appear on parallel bars of color as if they’re climbing a monumental staircase.

From Washington Post • Feb. 13, 2020

At the end of the eighteenth century Cabanis perfected Cartesian materialism in a work entitled: Rapport du physic et du moral de l'homme.

From Selected Essays by Stenning, H. J.