record

[ verb ri-kawrd; noun adjective rek-erd ]

verb (used with object)

1. to set down in writing or the like, as for the purpose of preserving evidence.

   Synonyms: note, enter, enroll, register

2. to cause to be set down or registered:

   to record one's vote.

3. to state or indicate:

   He recorded his protest, but it was disregarded.

4. to serve to relate or to tell of:

   The document records that the battle took place six years earlier.

5. to set down or register in some permanent form, as on a seismograph.
6. to set down, register, or fix by characteristic marks, incisions, magnetism, etc., for the purpose of reproduction by a phonograph or magnetic reproducer.
7. to make a recording of:

   The orchestra recorded the 6th Symphony.

verb (used without object)

1. to record something; make a record.

noun

1. an act of recording.
2. the state of being recorded, as in writing.
3. an account in writing or the like preserving the memory or knowledge of facts or events.

   Synonyms: memorandum, note, journal, history, chronicle

4. information or knowledge preserved in writing or the like.
5. a report, list, or aggregate of actions or achievements:

   He made a good record in college. The ship has a fine sailing record.

6. a legally documented history of criminal activity:

   They discovered that the suspect had a record.

7. something or someone serving as a remembrance; memorial:

   Keep this souvenir as a record of your visit.

8. the tracing, marking, or the like, made by a recording instrument.
9. something on which sound or images have been recorded for subsequent reproduction, as a grooved disk that is played on a phonograph or an optical disk for recording sound audio disc or images videodisc. Compare compact disk.
10. the highest or best rate, amount, etc., ever attained, especially in sports:

    to hold the record for home runs; to break the record in the high jump.

11. Sports. the standing of a team or individual with respect to contests won, lost, and tied.
12. an official writing intended to be preserved.
13. Computers. a group of related fields, or a single field, treated as a unit and comprising part of a file or data set, for purposes of input, processing, output, or storage by a computer.
14. Law.
    1. the commitment to writing, as authentic evidence, of something having legal importance, especially as evidence of the proceedings or verdict of a court.
    2. evidence preserved in this manner.
    3. an authentic or official written report of proceedings of a court of justice.

adjective

1. making or affording a record.
2. surpassing or superior to all others:

   a record year for automobile sales.

record

noun

1. an account in permanent form, esp in writing, preserving knowledge or information about facts or events
2. a written account of some transaction that serves as legal evidence of the transaction
3. a written official report of the proceedings of a court of justice or legislative body, including the judgments given or enactments made
4. anything serving as evidence or as a memorial

   the First World War is a record of human folly

5. often plural information or data on a specific subject collected methodically over a long period

   weather records

6. 1. the best or most outstanding amount, rate, height, etc, ever attained, as in some field of sport

      an Olympic record

      to break the record for the long jump

      a world record

   2. ( as modifier )

      a record time

7. the sum of one's recognized achievements, career, or performance

   the officer has an excellent record

8. a list of crimes of which an accused person has previously been convicted, which are known to the police but may only be disclosed to a court in certain circumstances
9. have a record
   have a record to be a known criminal; have a previous conviction or convictions
10. Also calledgramophone recorddisc a thin disc of a plastic material upon which sound has been recorded. Each side has a spiral groove, which undulates in accordance with the frequency and amplitude of the sound. Records were formerly made from a shellac-based compound but were later made from vinyl plastics
11. the markings made by a recording instrument such as a seismograph
12. computing a group of data or piece of information preserved as a unit in machine-readable form
13. (in some computer languages) a data structure designed to allow the handling of groups of related pieces of information as though the group were a single entity
14. for the record
    for the record for the sake of a strict factual account
15. go on record
    go on record to state one's views publicly
16. See off the record
    See off the record
17. on record
    on record
    1. stated in a public document
    2. publicly known
18. put the record straight
    put the record straightset the record straight to correct an error or misunderstanding

verb

1. to set down in some permanent form so as to preserve the true facts of

   to record the minutes of a meeting

2. to contain or serve to relate (facts, information, etc)
3. to indicate, show, or register

   his face recorded his disappointment

4. to remain as or afford evidence of

   these ruins record the life of the Romans in Britain

5. also intr to make a recording of (music, speech, etc) for reproduction, or for later broadcasting
6. also intr (of an instrument) to register or indicate (information) on a scale

   the barometer recorded a low pressure

Derived Forms

• reˈcordable, adjective

Other Words From

• re·corda·ble adjective
• record·less adjective
• unre·corda·ble adjective
• well-re·corded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of record¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; 1875–80 record fordef 17; 1855–60 record fordef 18; (for the verb) Middle English recorden, from Old French recorder, from Latin recordārī “to remember, recollect,” from re- re- + cord- (stem of cors ) “heart” + -ārī, infinitive verb ending; (for the noun) Middle English record(e), from Old French, derivative of recorder; cordial

Word History and Origins

Origin of record¹

C13: from Old French recorder to call to mind, from Latin recordārī to remember, from re- + cor heart

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go on record, to issue a public statement of one's opinion or stand:

   He went on record as advocating immediate integration.

2. off the record,
   1. not intended for publication; unofficial; confidential:

      The president's comment was strictly off the record.

   2. not registered or reported as a business transaction; off the books.
3. on record,
   1. existing as a matter of public knowledge; known.
   2. existing in a publication, document, file, etc.:

      There was no birth certificate on record.

More idioms and phrases containing record

see break the record ; go on record ; just for the record ; off the record ; set (the record) straight ; track record .

Example Sentences

Even though Maryland has won four games against ranked teams, including three on the road, the Terps still need to improve their conference record.

From Washington Post

The records that do exist, though sparse, show that officials passed the ordinance with fairly broad language at the same time they created a local disaster council.

From Voice of San Diego

According to the records, more than 200 officers still working at the NYPD have had five or more substantiated allegations against them.

From ProPublica

Pivoting to include the horizontal with the vertical, Group Nine’s revenue in 2020 was flat with 2019, according to Schiller, but the fourth quarter ended up being the best on record for the company.

From Digiday

Sunday’s Super Bowl, on paper, seemed set to be one for the record books.

From Washington Post

That would truly be a milestone to celebrate—until you see what that record “diversity” actually means.

From The Daily Beast

Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.

From The Daily Beast

The Amazon biography for an author named Papa Faal mentions both Gambia and lists a military record that matches the FBI report.

From The Daily Beast

Having a criminal record can reduce the likelihood of getting a callback or job offer by 50 percent.

From The Daily Beast

With every record you make, you want to make the best one you can, you know?

From The Daily Beast

Let them open their minds to us, let them put upon permanent record the significance of all their intrigues and manœuvres.

From Project Gutenberg

Because the universe is governed by laws, and there is no credible instance on record of those laws being suspended.

From Project Gutenberg

Its record is largely that of battles and sieges, of the brave adventure of discovery and the vexed slaughter of the nations.

From Project Gutenberg

A ray of Consciousness is passed over that impression and you re-read it, you re-awaken the record.

From Project Gutenberg

To-day I have stood in the main battery which has fired a shot establishing, in its way, a record in the annals of destruction.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• document
• evidence
• file
• history
• note
• report
• story
• testimony
• transcript

More About Record

What is a basic definition of record!

Record means to set something down or preserve it in a way that keeps permanent evidence of it. Record is also used to refer to the writing or document that is the preserved account of something. Record is also an achievement that is the best or highest amount. Record has several other senses as a verb and a noun.

Record means to somehow preserve a note or evidence of something so that it can be consulted later or prove that something actually existed. When you write down the time that you did something, you are recording it. When you film a birthday party, you are also recording it. Music producers record a singer’s or band’s studio performance of a song using audio equipment. When used as a verb, record is pronounced [ ri-kawrd ], with emphasis on the second syllable.

• Real-life examples: Police detectives record details about crimes and crime scenes. Cameras record news events, sports, and television programs to be viewed later.
• Used in a sentence: The journalist recorded the mayor’s statements in her notepad.

Related to this sense, record is used to refer to the resulting document, file, or other object that proves something existed or contains information that a person recorded. When used as a noun or adjective, record is pronounced [ rek-erd ], with the emphasis on the first syllable.

• Real-life examples: Schools have records of students’ grades on a computer or as documents in a filing cabinet. Police keep records of all of the crimes they have worked on, people they have arrested, and many other events. The government has detailed records of what it spends tax money on.
• Used in a sentence: I keep a record of all of the toys I have bought so that I know which ones are missing from my collection. 

Record is also used to mean an achievement that is the best, highest amount, or otherwise worth keeping track of. A person may also use this sense sarcastically or as an exaggeration.

• Real-life examples: Robert Wadlow holds the record for the tallest man who ever lived (8 feet 11.1 inches). Blackie the cat set the record for world’s wealthiest cat when it inherited $12.5 million from its owner in 1988. Guinness World Records is a company that publishes information considered to be the official documentation of impressive (or weird) records that people have set.
• Used in a sentence: My boss is trying to set the record for worst manager ever.

Where does record come from?

The first records of the verb record come from around 1175. It ultimately comes from the Latin recordārī, meaning “to remember” or “to recollect.” The first records of the noun record come from around 1325. It ultimately comes from the Old French recorder.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to record?

• recorder (noun)
• recording (noun, present tense verb)
• recordable (adjective)
• recordless (adjective)
• unrecordable (adjective)
• well-recorded (adjective)

What are some synonyms for record?

• copy
• document
• file
• evidence
• note
• accomplishment
• achievement

What are some words that share a root or word element with record? 

• recorder
• recording
• recordkeeping
• recordholder
• off the record
• break the record

What are some words that often get used in discussing record?

• computer
• criminal
• permanent
• world
• player
• music

How is record used in real life?

Record is a very common word that most often means to preserve documentation or evidence of something.

I got a bill. It's by hourly rate. I've recorded the hours dude was here. Huge discrepancy between my and his records. *sigh*

— Swanny (@YoSwanny) October 20, 2011

If twitter kept a record of every typo you’ve ever had how many do you think you would have? I’d easily have THOUSANDS

— Kid Conrad (@KidConrad) May 22, 2020

Phillip Brooks now has the record for most punt return yardage in a single game by a K-State player. He has 189 yards, surpassing the 172 yards by David Allen in 1998.

— Ryan Black (@RyanABlack) October 24, 2020

Try using record!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym of record?

A. document
B. note
C. forget
D. log