Rapport

How to spell rapport

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce rapport

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does rapport mean?

1. nounA relationship of mutual understanding, trust, and easy communication between people.

Rapport in a sentence

• The new manager quickly built a strong rapport with her team.

• Good rapport between a doctor and patient improves treatment.

Where does rapport come from?

Language of origin: French

This word came into English directly from French in the late 1600s, keeping its French spelling and its silent final 't', which is the main reason adults stumble over it. In French, rapport is the noun from the verb rapporter, meaning 'to bring back' or 'to report', formed from the prefix re- ('back') and apporter ('to bring'). That verb in turn traces to the Latin apportare, built from ad- ('to') and portare ('to carry'), the same portare that gives us 'porter', 'portable' and 'transport'. The original idea of carrying something back to someone shifted into the sense of a 'relation' or 'connection' between people, and English narrowed it to the warm, sympathetic understanding two people share. Because the word never anglicised its look, learners must remember the doubled 'p', the silent 't', and the un-English 'rapp-' opening all at once.

How the word is built

• r- (from French re-, 'back')
• apport (from apporter, 'to bring') -> rapport, 'a bringing back, a relation'