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statement

n. · adj.
US //ˈsteɪtmənt// UK //stˈeɪtmənt// state·ment
  1. 1 a formal declaration (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    something that you say or write in a formal way to give information or an opinion.

    a formal communication or declaration in speech or writing, often issued to the public or a court.

    Example

    The company issued a statement to explain why the shop was closing.

    Example

    The prime minister's official statement was carefully drafted to address public concerns without committing the government to immediate spending increases.

    Usage

    Often used with the verbs 'make', 'issue', or 'release'.
  2. 2 financial record (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Finance

    a printed or electronic record of how much money you have in your bank account.

    a document, typically issued monthly, that summarises all financial transactions within a specific period.

    Example

    I check my bank statement every month to see how much I spent on coffee.

    Example

    The auditor requested a full set of year-end statements to reconcile the discrepancies found in the company's ledger.

    Usage

    Usually refers to a 'bank statement'.
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  1. 3 programming instruction (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a single instruction in a computer program.

    a syntactic unit of a programming language that expresses some action to be carried out.

    Example

    The program stopped because there was an error in the print statement.

    Example

    The developer refactored the code to replace the nested if-statements with a more efficient switch-case structure.

    Usage

    Distinguished from an 'expression' in many languages because a statement performs an action but does not return a value.
  2. 4 bold or noticeable (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    used to describe something, like a piece of clothing or furniture, that is very noticeable and shows your style.

    serving to express a bold aesthetic or stylistic choice; typically used as an attributive adjective.

    Example

    She wore a statement necklace that everyone noticed as soon as she walked in.

    Example

    The architect chose a statement staircase for the lobby, intended to serve as the building's primary visual focal point.

    Usage

    Almost always appears before the noun it describes, such as 'statement piece' or 'statement necklace'.
Etymology 1

From state + -ment.

Etymology 2

Back-formation from statementing or back-formation from statemented.

Idioms1 entry

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