Report

An official or formal statement of facts or proceedings. To give an account of; to relate; to tell or convey information; the written statement of such an account.

For example, one kind of report is the formal statement in writing made to a court by a master, a clerk, or a referee who has been appointed to inquire into a particular matter for the court. Sometimes the report of a public official is distinguished from a return. A return typically discloses something done or observed by the official, whereas a report shows the results of an investigation into matters outside the personal knowledge of the official.

Regularly published volumes of books containing accounts of decisions and opinions of various courts are sometimes referred to as reports, but more often they are called reporters.

The ANNUAL REPORT for stockholders is prepared by a corporation, a consumer report describes the qualities of a manufactured product, and a credit report assesses the creditworthiness of a business or consumer for a bank or other lender.