record

The word “record” means a written or stored account of information, kept for future reference. In plain terms, either a stored account of something, the best result ever achieved, or the act of capturing sound/video/information.

“Record” is pronounced REHK-awd (/ˈɹɛk.ɚd/ in IPA).

Here is “record” used in a sentence: “The hospital keeps a record of every patient's vaccinations.”

The opposite of “record” — its antonyms — is erase.

Depending on how it is used, “record” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.

The word “record” comes from Latin. From Middle English recorde, borrowed from Old French record, ultimately from Latin recordari ("to remember, call to mind").

“Record” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Record” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a written or stored account of information, kept for future reference.

A document is a single piece of written material; a record is information kept deliberately as evidence or for future reference. Many records are documents, but a record can also be a database entry, an audio file, or a log. The defining feature of a record is that it is stored to be retrieved later.

Records come in many forms: medical records, financial records, school records, criminal records, and public records, among others. They may be written, printed, or stored digitally. Whatever the format, each type serves the same purpose — preserving information accurately so it can be consulted, verified, or updated in future.

Records preserve information that memory alone cannot hold reliably. They provide evidence of what happened, support decisions, protect legal and financial rights, and allow facts to be checked long after the event. Without records, organisations and individuals would have no dependable account of transactions, history, or agreements to fall back on.

A patient's medical history, a company's accounts, a birth certificate, or a log of visitors to a building are all records. Each stores specific information in a fixed form so it can be looked up later — the essence of what makes something a record rather than a passing note.