neuss
A1Neutral; used across formal, informal, academic, and media contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events.
Reports of current events broadcast, published, or otherwise disseminated to the public; the presentation of such information as a genre or industry.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
An uncountable noun. Despite ending in '-s', it is singular (e.g., 'The news is on'). Refers to information collectively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal lexical difference. The phrase 'news agency' is common in both. In the UK, 'newsagent' is a common term for a shop selling newspapers; in the US, it's more often called a 'convenience store' or 'drugstore' with a newsstand.
Connotations
Similar core connotations. In media contexts, terms like 'news programme' (UK) vs. 'news program' (US) show spelling variation.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both variants with near-identical usage patterns.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
hear the newswatch the newsread the newsbreak the news (to someone)be in the newsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No news is good news.”
- “Break the news.”
- “Be news at eleven.”
- “Yesterday's news.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Market news, earnings news, corporate news.
Academic
Referring to recent findings or developments in a field.
Everyday
Discussing personal or local events (e.g., 'I have some news for you').
Technical
In IT: 'news feed', 'news aggregator', 'newsgroup'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I watch the news on TV every evening.
- She told me the good news about her new job.
- Have you heard the latest news about the election results?
- The news of the merger surprised everyone in the office.
- Despite the sensational news headlines, the underlying economic data was reassuring.
- He broke the news to his family as gently as he could.
- The 24-hour news cycle can often prioritise speed over accuracy.
- Her research findings made news in several prominent scientific journals.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'News' comes from all directions (North, East, West, South) – it's information from everywhere.
Conceptual Metaphor
NEWS IS A COMMODITY (consume news, deliver news, news cycle); NEWS IS A LIQUID (flow of news, stream of news).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'новости' directly as plural 'newses' or 'a news'. It is uncountable. Correct: 'some news', 'a piece of news'.
- The adjective is 'newsy' (informal), not 'newslike'.
- Do not use 'news' with indefinite article 'a'.
Common Mistakes
- *I heard a good news. (Correct: I heard some good news / a piece of good news.)
- *The news are interesting. (Correct: The news is interesting.)
- *I have a news for you. (Correct: I have some news for you.)
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is an uncountable singular noun. You use singular verbs: 'The news is on at six.'
No. To refer to a single item, use 'a piece of news', 'a bit of news', or 'a news item/story'.
'News' typically refers to new information about recent events, especially of public interest. 'Information' is a broader, uncountable term for facts or details about anything.
It originated in Late Middle English as the plural of 'new', translating Old French 'nouvelles' or Latin 'nova', meaning 'new things'. The sense 'tidings' developed from the phrase 'new things'.