Definition of RAPPORTEUR

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Rapporteur was adopted into English in the early 16th century and is a descendant of the Middle French verb rapporter, meaning "to bring back, report, or refer." Other descendants of "rapporter" in English include "rapportage" (a rare synonym of "reportage," in the sense of "writing intended to give an account of observed or documented events") and "rapport" ("harmonious relationship"). The words "report," "reporter," "reportage," etc., are also distant relatives of "rappouteur"; all can ultimately be traced back to the Latin prefix re-, meaning "back, again, against," and the Latin word portare, meaning "to carry."

Examples of rapporteur in a Sentence

He was selected to be the UN's rapporteur on nuclear energy.

Recent Examples on the Web That helped catapult far-right firebrand Matteo Salvini into the powerful position of Interior Minister, which oversees immigration, in Italy last year, says U.N. special rapporteur Agnes Callamard. — Jasmine Aguilera/ajo, Time, "They Tried to Save the Lives of Immigrants Fleeing Danger. Now They’re Facing Prosecution," 11 Nov. 2019 In a 2013 report, the United Nations special rapporteur for torture said that the rights of students at the center had been violated under the U.N. convention against torture. — Jacey Fortin, New York Times, "F.D.A. Bans School Electric Shock Devices," 6 Mar. 2020 Tendayi Achiume, a rapporteur for the UN Human Rights Council, answers questions during a press conference in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. — Mike Corder, San Diego Union-Tribune, "UN racism rapporteur criticizes Dutch burqa ban," 7 Oct. 2019 Agnès Callamard, a special rapporteur for the U.N.’s human-rights office who led the U.N. investigation, voiced similar outrage. — Robin Wright, The New Yorker, "The Saudi Sentences in Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder Case Are a Mockery of Justice," 23 Dec. 2019 The 101-page report released this year by Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, included details from the audio Turkish authorities shared with her. — Abdullah Al-shihri, Twin Cities, "Saudis sentence 5 people to death for Jamal Khashoggi murder," 23 Dec. 2019 Special rapporteurs are part of the U.N. human rights council. — Washington Post, "UN rapporteur praises pope for reform of abuse secrecy," 19 Dec. 2019 What’s more, the judge who is the rapporteur in the federal court handling the da Silva case contested Judge Favreto’s order. — Mary Anastasia O’grady, WSJ, "Rule of Law Wins Again in Brazil," 15 July 2018 But David Kaye, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, said NSO Group has not explained how its new policy will improve things for surveillance-harassment victims. — Washington Post, "Oregon pension fund is invested in spyware, prison companies," 19 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rapporteur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.