track record

American  

noun

1. a record of achievements or performance.

   an executive with a good track record.

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track record British  

noun

1. informal the past record of the accomplishments and failures of a person, business, etc

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track record Idioms  

1. A record of actual performance or achievements, as in This applicant has an excellent track record. This term probably comes from horse racing, where it signifies the best time a horse has ever achieved at a particular track or over a particular distance. However, some believe it alludes to track and field records. Its figurative use dates from the late 1940s.

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Etymology

Origin of track record

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The odds would seem low based on the court’s past track record.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

Rather than long-term professional experience, Toboni wanted proficiency in analytics, an interest in modern technology and a track record of creativity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Project Servator has a proven track record of stopping criminals and terrorists through highly visible, unpredictable deployments that vary in time and location, deterring those planning harm and reassuring the public.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

In a separate statement, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan praised Musk’s “proven track record of reimagining entire industry,” which he said is what the semiconductor-manufacturing industry needs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

I got one and sometimes more than one, but my track record in the survival department is far less admirable than my performance as a jobholder.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich