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Meaning & use

police report

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/pəˈliːs rɪˌpɔːt/
US/pəˈliːs rɪˌpɔːrt/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    An official written record made by police describing a crime, accident or other incident and what officers found out about it.

    Grammar: Countable: file a police report, two police reports.

    Patterns

    • file a police report
    • a police report on something
    • a police report about something

    She filed a police report after her bicycle was stolen.

    The insurance company asked for a copy of the police report.

    According to the police report, the driver was not injured.

  2. nouncountable

    A formal notification made to the police that tells them a crime or emergency has happened.

    Grammar: Often used with make or take: the officer took a police report from the neighbor.

    Patterns

    • make a police report
    • take a police report

    Residents were urged to make a police report if they saw anything suspicious.

    The officer took a police report from the shop owner about the break-in.

    You should make a police report as soon as possible after a theft.

Word forms

pluralpolice reports

Common combinations

file a police report
He filed a police report about the missing wallet.
obtain a police report
You can obtain a police report from the station for a small fee.
copy of the police report
The lawyer requested a copy of the police report.
according to the police report
According to the police report, the thief used a side door.
a false police report
Making a false police report is a crime.

Synonyms and how they differ

incident report
It can come from any organization, while a police report comes specifically from the police.
crime report
It focuses on a crime and is slightly narrower, since police reports also cover accidents.
statement
It is a person's own account given to police, while a police report is the officer's full record.

Word family

police noun
the force that enforces the law
report verb
to tell the authorities about something
report noun
an account of something
policeman noun
a male officer
police station noun
the building where officers work

Commonly confused: police report or police record?

police report vs police record

A police record is a person's history of arrests and convictions, not the report of one incident.

Practice

After the car accident, her insurer asked for the ___.

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