itar tass
LowFormal, Journalistic
Definition
Meaning
A major state-owned Russian news agency.
A name referring to the historical and current Russian news agency, formerly the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS), known for official government reporting.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a proper noun referring to the specific agency. Often used in news contexts when citing Russian sources or referring to official Russian state media positions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major usage differences. Both use it as a proper noun for the agency.
Connotations
Connotes official Russian state perspective, historical legacy of Soviet-era news dissemination.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties, appearing almost exclusively in international news reporting.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Itar-Tass + VERB (reported/said/announced/confirmed)According to + Itar-TassVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in reports on Russian economic policy or sanctions.
Academic
Used in historical, political science, or media studies contexts discussing Russian/Soviet information channels.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Used only when discussing international news sources.
Technical
Used in journalism when attributing sources.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- Itar-Tass dispatch
- Itar-Tass report
American English
- Itar-Tass bulletin
- Itar-Tass story
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The news was on Itar-Tass.
- Itar-Tass is a Russian news agency.
- According to Itar-Tass, the minister will visit next week.
- The statement was first carried by the Itar-Tass wire service.
- While Western outlets questioned the figures, Itar-Tass reproduced the government's press release verbatim.
- The historical archives of Itar-Tass, formerly the Soviet TASS agency, provide a fascinating record of state narratives.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: ITAR is like 'It's The Authoritative Report' from Russia, and TASS rhymes with 'mass' media.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOURCE OF INFORMATION IS A CONDUIT (channeling official statements).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'Itar-Tass' when it's used as a proper name in English texts.
- Avoid parsing 'Itar' and 'Tass' as separate words with independent meaning.
Common Mistakes
- Writing it as 'Itar Tass' (as two separate words) instead of the hyphenated or single-word form.
- Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'an itar-tass'). It should be capitalised.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'Itar-Tass' primarily known as?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is derived from 'Information Telegraph Agency of Russia' (ITAR) and the historical 'Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union' (TASS).
No, Itar-Tass is a state-owned news agency and is considered the official news service of the Russian government.
TASS was the Soviet-era agency. After the USSR's dissolution, it was renamed Itar-Tass. In 2014, it reverted to the name TASS.
Use it as a singular proper noun, typically as the subject of reporting verbs or after 'according to.' Example: 'Itar-Tass confirmed the meeting.'