recordholder: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to formal; common in journalism, sports reporting, official statistics, and business.
Quick answer
What does “recordholder” mean?
A person, animal, or organization that officially holds a record for the best achievement in a particular field, most commonly in sports.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person, animal, or organization that officially holds a record for the best achievement in a particular field, most commonly in sports.
An entity (person, group, company, institution) that maintains the highest documented level of performance, production, or possession in a specific area, such as world records, sales records, or historical records.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. Both varieties commonly use the single-word compound 'recordholder' and the spaced form 'record holder'. Hyphenated 'record-holder' is slightly more common in British publications.
Connotations
Identical connotations of achievement and official status.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in US media due to the prominence of sports and business record-keeping.
Grammar
How to Use “recordholder” in a Sentence
recordholder for [the 100m sprint]recordholder in [the field of aviation]recordholder of [the world title]recordholder since [2015]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
A company that is the recordholder for quarterly profits in its sector.
Academic
The study examined the physiological attributes of the world recordholder in the marathon.
Everyday
My uncle is the local recordholder for the most fish caught in a day.
Technical
The athlete's status as the current world recordholder was confirmed after the doping test.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “recordholder”
- Using 'record holder' as a verb (e.g., 'He recordholds the title' – incorrect). It is only a noun.
- Confusing 'recordholder' (current) with 'record-breaker' (the one who set it, who may or may not still be the holder).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both 'recordholder' (closed compound) and 'record holder' (open compound) are accepted. 'Record-holder' (hyphenated) is also common, especially in British English.
A 'record-breaker' is the person who sets a new record. They become the 'recordholder' from that moment until someone else breaks it. A former recordholder is no longer a record-breaker for that specific record.
Yes. The term applies to any entity that holds a record, e.g., 'The automaker is the recordholder for most electric vehicles sold in a single year.'
No. While most common in sports, it is used in any field with quantified achievements: business (sales records), science (temperature records), and even quirky categories (Guinness World Records).
A person, animal, or organization that officially holds a record for the best achievement in a particular field, most commonly in sports.
Recordholder is usually neutral to formal; common in journalism, sports reporting, official statistics, and business. in register.
Recordholder: in British English it is pronounced /ˈrek.ɔːdˌhəʊl.dər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈrek.ɚdˌhoʊl.dɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[to be] in the record books”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a person HOLDing a golden RECORD trophy above their head.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACHIEVEMENT IS A POSSESSION (one 'holds' a record).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary nuance of the word 'recordholder'?