recordsman
Definition
Noun: A person who holds or sets a record, especially in sports or other competitive fields. The term refers to someone who achieves the best or highest performance in a particular activity, such as the fastest time, longest distance, or greatest number of points.
Usage Examples
- (The athlete holds the fastest time in that event.)
- (He has set the best performance in the marathon.)
- (She holds the record for the highest number of goals.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is somewhat formal and less common in everyday speech; it is often replaced by "record holder" or "record-setter" in modern English. It can also be used metaphorically for non-sporting achievements, such as in business or science.
- The inventor was a recordsman for the number of patents filed in a year. (He held the record for patents.)
Variants and Related Words
- Record (n): the best or highest achievement that is officially recognized.
- He broke the world record in swimming. (He surpassed the previous best performance.)
- Record-setter (n): a person who establishes a new record.
- The young athlete is a record-setter in gymnastics. (She creates new achievements.)
- Record-holder (n): a person who currently holds a record.
- She is the record-holder for the longest jump. (She retains the top performance.)
Synonyms
- Champion: a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition.
- Titleholder: someone who holds a championship or record title.
- Record-breaker: a person who surpasses an existing record.
Idioms
- To set the record straight: to correct a misunderstanding or provide accurate information (not directly related to "recordsman," but uses "record").
- Let me set the record straight: I never said that. (I am correcting the error.)
- Off the record: said in confidence, not to be published (again, related to "record").
- This information is off the record. (It is not for official use.)
Related Words (Compound Forms)
- Recordsman is itself a compound of "records" and "man." It is gender-specific; the equivalent for a female is "recordswoman" (rarely used) or the gender-neutral "record-holder."