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rapport

ruh-POR /ræˈpɔːr/

nounC1GRESATTOEFLIELTS

generalprofessional

A close and harmonious relationship characterized by mutual understanding, trust, and smooth communication.

Implies effortless fluidity and mutual warmth in interaction, often established deliberately in negotiation or therapy.

The story behind the word. Borrowed from French in the 15th century, 'rapport' literally means 'bringing back' or 'carrying back and forth'. It evokes the image of thoughts, feelings, and respect being carried smoothly back and forth between two people without resistance.

Word relationships

affinity: A natural liking or sympathy for someone or something.
harmony: Agreement in feeling or opinion, though less focused on active interpersonal trust.

friction: Conflict, animosity, or disagreement between people.
estrangement: State of hostility, alienation, or distance between individuals.

Commonly confused with

report: Report is a statement or document; rapport (pronounced ruh-POR) is a harmonious personal relationship.

Word family

rapporteur (noun): A person appointed by an organization to report on proceedings or build official liaisons.

Collocations

build rapport
establish rapport
good rapport
instant rapport

Idioms & expressions

on the same page
hit it off

Example sentences

"The mediator spent the first hour establishing rapport with both parties before discussing contract terms." Negotiation strategy
"Therapeutic success depends heavily on building strong rapport between the practitioner and the client." Clinical psychology

Memory hook

RAPPORT is like a bridge where thoughts PASSPORT freely back and forth. RAPPORT = smooth re-PORTING of feelings between friends.

When not to use

Do not use to describe formal legal agreements or cold transactional alliances without personal connection.

Fun facts

In NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), 'mirroring' posture and breathing speed is taught as a scientific technique to create artificial rapport.