record

1 of 4

verb

re·​cord ri-ˈkȯrd How to pronounce record (audio)
recorded; recording; records

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to set down in writing : furnish written evidence of
(2)
: to deposit an authentic official copy of
record a deed
b
: to state for or as if for the record
voted in favor but recorded certain reservations
c(1)
: to register permanently by mechanical means
earthquake shocks recorded by a seismograph
(2)
: indicate, read
the thermometer recorded 90°
2
: to give evidence of
3
: to cause (sound, visual images, data, etc.) to be registered on something (such as a disc or magnetic tape) in reproducible form

intransitive verb

: to record something
recordable adjective

record

2 of 4

noun (1)

rec·​ord ˈre-kərd How to pronounce record (audio)
 also  -ˌkȯrd
1
: the state or fact of being recorded
2
: something that records: such as
a
: something that recalls or relates past events
b
: an official document that records the acts of a public body or officer
c
: an authentic official copy of a document deposited with a legally designated officer
d
: the official copy of the papers used in a law case
3
a(1)
: a body of known or recorded facts about something or someone especially with reference to a particular sphere of activity that often forms a discernible pattern
a good academic record
a liberal voting record
(2)
: a collection of related items of information (as in a database) treated as a unit
b(1)
: an attested top performance
(2)
: an unsurpassed statistic
4
: something on which sound or visual images have been recorded
specifically : a disc with a spiral groove carrying recorded sound for phonograph reproduction

record

3 of 4

adjective

rec·​ord ˈre-kərd How to pronounce record (audio)
 also  -ˌkȯrd
: of, relating to, or being one that is extraordinary among or surpasses others of its kind
record heat
record sales
… major league baseball is coming off a record year when almost 53 million people attended.Gerald Eskenazi

record

4 of 4

noun (2)

re·​cord ri-ˈkȯrd How to pronounce record (audio)
: a function of an electronic device that causes it to record
Phrases
for the record
: for public knowledge : on the record
off the record
: not for publication
spoke off the record
remarks that were off the record
of record
1
: being documented or attested
a partner of record in several firms
2
: being authoritative or sanctioned
a newspaper of record
on record
1
: in the position of having publicly declared oneself
went on record as opposed to higher taxes
2
: being known, published, or documented
the judge's opinion is on record
on the record
: for publication

Examples of record in a Sentence

Verb Be sure to record all your business expenditures. There are similar events all throughout recorded history. The thermometer recorded 40 degrees below zero. A seismograph is a device that measures and records the intensity of earthquakes. Please record the television program for me. He recorded the birthday party with his new video camera. He just recorded his latest album. The show is recorded in front of a live audience. The band spent all night recording.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Menlo-Atherton junior David Lopez was 2 for 3 as the only M-A player to record more than one hit. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Impressively, the album was recorded in two days, after just one day of rehearsal and before a debut gig at Blues Alley in D.C. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Seavey, 37, finished the 52nd Iditarod at 5:16 p.m. on Tuesday, recording a total time of 9 days, 2 hours, 16 minutes and 8 seconds to cross the approximate 975 miles to Nome, Alaska, according to an Iditarod press release. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Honda Motor and Mazda Motor have also agreed to record pay raises for their workers. William Gavin, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Mitski recorded her Spotify Singles session in New York with Jeni Magaña on double bass and The Land producer Patrick Hyland on acoustic guitar. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2024 Camera specifications otherwise sound almost identical, besides perhaps recording 1080p at 240fps, potentially for smoother slow-mo footage than its 120fps predecessor. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024 Over the last year or so, Noah has garnered an online following with his reinterpretations of 1980s classics, each recorded with his younger brother Nate. Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Arkansas starter Hagen Smith (right) is congratulated Friday by catcher Hudson White after recording the final out in the second inning of the Razorbacks’ 5-1 win over Murray State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The Bulldogs were up 34-30 at halftime — the seventh 16 seed to lead at the break. 2016 — Stephen Curry has 27 points, five rebounds and five assists on his 28th birthday, and the Golden State Warriors beat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-107 for their record 49th straight regular-season home victory. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Courtesy of Big East Conference Every women’s college basketball fan, old and new, this year is watching Caitlin Clark, who drove record viewership numbers for the Iowa Hawkeyes, part of the Big Ten. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 In late January, the temperature surged to a record 80 degrees, and February saw highs in the 60s on five days. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 The Human Development Index that the agency has produced since 1990 is projected to reach record highs in 2023 after steep declines during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Edith M. Lederer, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Djokovic, who had been chasing a record sixth title at Indian Wells, expressed his concern about his form in 2024. Ben Morse, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Drug overdose deaths, largely caused by the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl, reached record highs in the United States in 2021. Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Lots of chalk Unlike 2023, when the Pac-12 tournament had a record seven upsets (based on seeds), leading to a title for No. 7 Washington State, there were no such upsets until the final, when No. 2 USC prevailed over Stanford. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Migrant encounters at the southern border reached a record monthly high of 302,000 in December. Jacqui Heinrich, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Proulx, 24, finished with eight saves on the night, tying the record for goalies in their NWSL debuts. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The driver was eventually hoisted onto a police boat and taken into custody, according to CHP records. Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024 Authorities arrested Reed in 2023 on a charge of keeping a gambling house, a Class D felony later reduced to four misdemeanor charges, according to court records. Danny Shameer, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024 According to online court records, Morales is being represented by a public defender. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 Last year’s Final Four broke viewership records, and when a new eight-year media deal was announced, in January, women’s basketball was valued at sixty-five million dollars, more than ten times its valuation in the previous deal. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2024 Fleming has a $5,000 personal bond, is to have no contact with the victim and is not to go to Marshalls, according to court records entered Feb. 20. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024 Vigil lived in Gilbert, according to court records. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024 Howard’s attorney information is not yet available in Shelby County records. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'record.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, literally, to recall, from Anglo-French recorder, from Latin recordari, from re- + cord-, cor heart — more at heart

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1884, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of record was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near record

Cite this Entry

“Record.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/record. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

record

1 of 3 verb
re·​cord ri-ˈkȯ(ə)rd How to pronounce record (audio)
1
a
: to set down in writing
b
: to deposit an authentic official copy of
record a deed
c
: to register permanently
events recorded in history
d
: indicate sense 1a, read
the thermometer recorded 40°
2
: to give evidence of
3
: to change sound or visual images into a form (as on magnetic tape) that can be listened to or watched at a later time

record

2 of 3 noun
rec·​ord ˈrek-ərd How to pronounce record (audio)
 also  -ˌȯrd
1
: the state or fact of being recorded
on record
2
a
: something that recalls or tells about past events
b
: an official writing that records what has been said or done by a group, organization, or official
c
: an authentic official copy of a document
3
a
: the known or recorded facts about something or someone
my school record
b
: a recorded top performance or achievement
broke the high jump record
4
: something on which sound or visual images have been recorded

record

3 of 3 adjective
rec·​ord
ˈrek-ərd
: setting a record : outstanding among other like things
a record crop
record prices

Legal Definition

record

1 of 2 transitive verb
re·​cord ri-ˈkȯrd How to pronounce record (audio)
1
: to put in a record
2
: to deposit or otherwise cause to be registered in the appropriate office as a record and notice of a title or interest in property
record a deed
record a mortgage
see also recording act
3
: to cause (as sound, images, or data) to be registered on something in reproducible form
record a telephone conversation

intransitive verb

: to record something

record

2 of 2 noun
rec·​ord ˈre-kərd How to pronounce record (audio)
1
: the documentary account of something
confidential medical records
: as
a
: an official document that records the acts of a public body or officer
b
: an official copy of a document deposited with a designated officer
c
: the official set of papers used and generated in a proceeding
the appeals court reviewed the trial record
d
: documented evidence or history of one or more arrests or convictions see also business records exception, public records exception
2
: something (as a disc or tape) on which images, sound, or data has been recorded

More from Merriam-Webster on record

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