statement

1.adjectiveB2

Definition

describes any garment, accessory, or household object made to stand out and draw attention, often through bold colours, unusual shapes, or a dramatic look.

Example

Hamza wore a bright red velvet jacket as a statement piece at the wedding.

collocation: statement piece

Allison's statement necklace turned her plain black dress into something unforgettable.

collocation: statement necklace

Common collocations

statement piece
statement necklace
statement earrings
statement ring
statement dress
statement sofa
statement lamp
statement colour

Synonyms

bold
focuses on strong colours or shapes rather than the 'designed to stand out' quality
showy
more negative in tone, suggesting something is too flashy
eye-catching
softer; describes anything that draws attention, not just fashion items

Antonyms

understated
describes something deliberately simple and not attention-seeking
subtle
describes something that is not immediately noticeable

Grammar Patterns

statement + noun (statement piece, statement necklace)

Usage Note

Only used attributively before a noun — you say 'a statement necklace', not 'the necklace is statement'. Common collocates: piece, necklace, earrings, ring, dress, shoes, sofa, lamp.

Common Mistakes

Her dress is very statement.

She wore a statement dress.

'statement' as an adjective only goes before a noun; it cannot be used after 'be'.

1.nounA2

Definition

a spoken or written remark that communicates information, an opinion, or a position, especially when given formally or publicly; also, any action or choice of behaviour that clearly expresses what someone believes or feels.

Example

The CEO issued a public statement about the company's plan to reduce plastic waste.

collocation: issue + public statement

Imani gave a statement to the police describing what she had seen outside the bank.

collocation: give + statement + to

Common collocations

make a statement
issue a statement
public statement
formal statement
written statement
official statement
political statement
joint statement
statement to the press

Synonyms

declaration
more formal than statement; often used for official announcements of policy or intent
announcement
focuses on sharing news rather than expressing an opinion
comment
less formal and often shorter; can be spontaneous
assertion
a firm statement made with confidence, but may lack supporting evidence

Antonyms

silence
the absence of any spoken or written expression

Grammar Patterns

make + statement

issue + statement

statement + about + noun

public statement

formal statement

Usage Note

Often used with verbs that indicate formality: issue, release, publish, make, give. 'Make a statement' can refer either to speaking/writing or to a symbolic action demonstrating a belief.

Common Mistakes

He said a statement about the news.

He made a statement about the news.

'say' is not used with 'statement'; use 'make', 'give', or 'issue'.

The president spoke a statement.

The president issued a statement.

'speak a statement' is not natural English.

2.nounB1

Definition

a record, on paper or on-screen, showing every deposit and withdrawal in a bank account over a set period, most often one month.

Example

Brian checked his monthly bank statement to make sure no unauthorised payments had gone through.

collocation: bank statement

The bank sends a statement to every customer at the end of each month.

collocation: send + statement

Common collocations

bank statement
monthly statement
credit card statement
check your statement
online statement
printed statement
statement period

Synonyms

bank statement
the full term for this document; more precise
account summary
a broader term used by some online banking platforms

Grammar Patterns

bank statement

monthly statement

credit card statement

Usage Note

Can be shortened to 'statement' when the banking context is clear ('I checked my statement online'). Also used for credit cards ('credit card statement').

Common Mistakes

I need my account statement from the bank.' (unnatural word order)

I need my bank statement.

'bank statement' is the fixed collocation.

The bank statement is about my savings.' (vague)

My bank statement shows all the deposits and withdrawals I made last month.

3.nounC1

Definition

a formal document, created through the English and Welsh school system, that outlines a child's special educational needs arising from a disability or learning difficulty and lists the additional help a school must offer.

Example

The school helped Esteban's parents apply for a statement of special educational needs for their son.

collocation: statement of special educational needs

Children who have a statement receive one-on-one support from a teaching assistant in the classroom.

collocation: have a statement

Common collocations

statement of special educational needs
have a statement
get a statement
apply for a statement
formal statement
local authority statement

Synonyms

education plan
a general term for a document outlining a student's learning needs
Individual Education Plan (IEP)
the broader international term for a personalised learning plan

Grammar Patterns

statement of + special educational needs

have a statement

get a statement

Usage Note

Specific to the education system in England and Wales. In Scotland the equivalent is called a 'Co-ordinated Support Plan'. The system of 'statements' was replaced by 'Education, Health and Care Plans' (EHCP) in 2014, but the term is still used informally.

Common Mistakes

❌ Using 'statement' in this sense outside the UK education context — it is not understood in the US, Australia, or other education systems.

4.nounB2

Definition

a single complete instruction written in a programming language that tells a computer to perform a specific action, such as assigning a value, making a decision, or repeating a task.

Example

In Java, each statement must end with a semicolon to tell the compiler where one instruction finishes.

grammar pattern: each statement + semicolon

Daichi wrote an if-then statement that checks whether the user's password is correct.

collocation: if-then statement

Common collocations

if statement
print statement
return statement
assignment statement
loop statement
conditional statement

Synonyms

line of code
more informal; a single line in a program, which may contain one or more statements
instruction
a broader term for any command given to a computer

Grammar Patterns

if statement

print statement

return statement

assignment statement

Usage Note

Different programming languages use different punctuation to end a statement (semicolon in C/Java/JavaScript, newline in Python). The term 'statement' is distinct from 'expression': an expression produces a value, while a statement performs an action.

Common Mistakes

❌ Confusing 'statement' and 'expression' in programming — they are not interchangeable. A statement (like 'x = 5;') does something; an expression (like '5 + 3') produces a value.

Word family

state
verbB1
stated
adjectiveB2
restate
verbC1
understatement
nounC1
overstatement
nounC1
statemented
adjectiveC2
statementing
nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'statement' is the broadest of these words: it can be formal or informal, spoken or written, and covers everything from a short remark to an official document. A 'declaration' is always formal and public — a government declares a state of emergency, or someone declares their love grandly. An 'assertion' is a confident claim that may or may not be supported by evidence; it often sounds forceful or defensive. A 'remark' is shorter and more spontaneous than a statement — what you say in passing during a conversation. A 'comment' is usually an opinion or reaction about a specific topic, often made in discussion or online. An 'announcement' tells people about something that has happened or will happen, rather than expressing an opinion or fact about it. For example: the CEO made a brief statement outside the courthouse; a government declaration of war; his assertion that he was nowhere near the scene; an offhand remark about the weather; a comment on a blog post; an announcement that the concert was cancelled.

declaration ↗assertion ↗remark ↗comment ↗announcement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

statement of purpose
statement of facts
statement of intent
statement of accounts
statement of needs

Adverbs

Phrases

make a statement
issue a statement
release a statement
give a statement
put out a statement
stand by your statement

Prepositions

about
on
to
from
regarding
concerning

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'statement' comes from the verb 'state', which entered English from Old French 'estat' (meaning 'position, condition, status'). That word came from Latin 'status' ('standing, position, state'), which is built on 'stare' ('to stand'). The suffix '-ment' was added to turn the verb 'state' (meaning 'to say or express something clearly') into a noun describing the act of stating or the thing that is stated. The word first appeared in English in the late 1700s. The financial meaning (bank statement) emerged in the early 1800s, while the computing meaning (line of code) and the fashion usage (statement piece) are 20th-century developments.

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statement

statement — adjective

1. describes any garment, accessory, or household object made to stand out and draw

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

statement — noun

1. a spoken or written remark that communicates information, an opinion, or a posit

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a record, on paper or on-screen, showing every deposit and withdrawal in a bank

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. a formal document, created through the English and Welsh school system, that out

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

4. a single complete instruction written in a programming language that tells a com

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

statement — verb

1. in England and Wales, to officially assess a child who has a disability or learn

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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