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

      a world record

      to break the record for the long jump

      an Olympic 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
   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 sake of a strict factual account
15. go on record
    to state one's views publicly
16. See off the record
17. on record
    1. stated in a public document
    2. publicly known
18. put the record straight or set 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

Next thing we have to do is a new record, of course.

From Los Angeles Times

His drivers have won the Indy 500 a record 20 times, which may be one reason he decided to buy that track as well.

From Los Angeles Times

At a time when the land that racetracks sit on has become so valuable that developers are paying record sums to tear them down and build industrial parks in their place, buying a race that is run on city streets was a smart investment on a number of levels.

From Los Angeles Times

It may also help more people avoid having an eviction on their record, which can make it difficult to secure new housing.

From Los Angeles Times

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs last week, with most stocks edging upward this week following a pause on Tuesday.

From Salon

Related Words

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