statement
statement
UK[ˈsteɪtmənt]US[ˈsteɪtmənt]
n
something that someone says or writes officially, or an action done to express an idea
n
a document showing amounts of money paid, received, owed, etc.
n
the act of stating something
Morpheme Breakdown
state
ment
state
to declare
ment
result or means of an action
Etymology
The word 'statement' is built upon the verb 'state', which originates from the Latin verb 'stare', meaning 'to stand'. Through Old French, 'estat' evolved to signify a condition or position, and in English, 'to state' came to mean 'to declare or set forth in a fixed position'. The suffix '-ment', of Latin origin, is added to verbs to form nouns denoting the product or result of the action. Therefore, a 'statement' is literally the product or formal result of the act of declaring something, capturing both its spoken/written and its official, settled nature.
Analysis
Structure: state (to declare) + ment (result or means of an action)
'state' (from Latin 'stare', meaning 'to stand', via Old French 'estat', meaning 'condition, position'); 'ment' (a suffix forming nouns from verbs, from Latin '-mentum', indicating an instrument, medium, or result).
Examples
The witness made a statement to the police.
I receive a bank statement every month.
The artist's work is a powerful political statement.