/ rɪˈpɔːt; NAmE rɪˈpɔːrt/ verb , noun
■ verb
GIVE INFORMATION
1.
report (on sth) (to sb) | report sth (to sb) | report sb/sth (as sth / as doing sth) to give people information about sth that you have heard, seen, done, etc. :
[ vn ]
The crash happened seconds after the pilot reported engine trouble.
Call me urgently if you have anything to report.
The company is expected to report record profits this year.
The house was reported as being in excellent condition.
[ v ]
The committee will report on its research next month.
[ v -ing ]
The neighbours reported seeing him leave the building around noon.
[ vn - adj ]
The doctor reported the patient fully recovered.
[ vn to inf ]
The house was reported to be in excellent condition.
She was reported by the hospital spokesman to be making excellent progress.
HELP NOTE : This pattern is only used in the passive.
[also v speech , v ( that ), v wh- , vn -ing ]
NEWS / STORY
2.
report (on) sth to present a written or spoken account of an event in a newspaper, on television, etc. :
[ vn ]
The stabbing was reported in the local press.
[ vn that ]
It was reported that several people had been arrested.
[ v ]
She reports on royal stories for the BBC.
[also v that ]
3.
be reported used to show that sth has been stated, and you do not know if it is true or not : [ vn to inf ]
She is reported to earn over $10 million a year.
[ vn ]
The President is reported as saying that he needs a break.
[ vn that ]
It was reported that changes were being considered.
CRIME / ACCIDENT, etc.
4.
report sth (to sb) | report sb (to sb) (for sth / for doing sth) to tell a person in authority about a crime, an accident, an illness, etc. or about sth bad that sb has done :
[ vn ]
Have you reported the accident to the police yet?
He's already been reported twice for arriving late.
a decrease in the number of reported cases of AIDS
[ vn - adj ]
She has reported her daughter missing.
ARRIVE
5.
[ v ] report (to sb/sth) (for sth) to tell sb that you have arrived, for example for work or for a meeting with sb :
You should report for duty at 9.30 a.m.
All visitors must report to the reception desk on arrival.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- report back
- report back (on sth) (to sb)
- report to sb
■ noun
OF NEWS
1.
report (on / of sth) a written or spoken account of an event, especially one that is published or broadcast :
Are these newspaper reports true?
a weather report
INFORMATION
2.
report (on sth) a spoken or written description of sth containing information that sb needs to have :
a police / medical report
Can you give us a progress report?
OFFICIAL STUDY
3.
report (on sth) an official document written by a group of people who have examined a particular situation or problem :
The committee will publish their report on the health service in a few weeks.
STORY
4.
a story or piece of information that may or may not be true :
I don't believe these reports of UFO sightings.
There are unconfirmed reports of a shooting in the capital.
ON STUDENT'S WORK
5.
( BrE ) ( NAmE reˈport card ) a written statement about a student's work at school, college, etc. :
a school report
to get a good / bad report
OF GUN
6.
the sound of an explosion or of a gun being fired
SYN bang , blast :
a loud report
•
IDIOMS
- of bad / good report
••
SYNONYMS
report
description ♦ story ♦ account ♦ version
These are all words for a written or spoken account of events.
report
a written or spoken account of an event, especially one that is published or broadcast:
Are these newspaper reports true?
description
a piece of writing or speech that says what sb/sth is like:
The catalogue gives a full description of each product.
story
an account, often spoken, of what happened to sb or of how sth happened; a report of events in a newspaper, magazine or news broadcast:
It was many years before the full story was made public.
•
the front-page story
account
a written or spoken description of sth that has happened:
She gave the police a full account of the incident.
report or account?
A report is always of recent events, especially news. An account may be of recent or past events.
version
a description of an event from the point of view of a particular person or group of people:
She gave us her version of what had happened that day.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
a report / story about sth
a report on sth
a brief / short report / description / story / account
a long / lengthy report / description / account
a full report / description / story / account / version
a detailed report / description / account
a news report / story
to give a(n) report / description / account / version
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French reporter (verb), report (noun), from Latin reportare bring back, from re- back + portare carry. The sense give an account gave rise to submit a formal report , which led to inform an authority of one's presence (sense 5, mid 19th cent.) and be accountable to a superior (late 19th cent.).