check-in
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe recording one's presence, but they differ in setting and formality. 'Check in' is the most general and is common in travel and everyday contexts — you check in at a hotel, a flight, or a doctor's appointment. 'Register' is more formal and is used for conferences, courses, or official events where a record is created. 'Sign in' usually involves writing your name on a list or in a book, often at a workplace, meeting, or gym. 'Report' is used in military or hierarchical workplace settings and implies presenting oneself to a specific person (e.g. 'report to the manager'). 'Clock in' is specific to workplaces with time-tracking systems, where you record your arrival time on a machine or app. Example: 'You check in at the hotel reception, register for the conference online, sign in at the gym front desk, and clock in when you arrive at the office.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb phrase 'check in' emerged in the late 1800s, combining 'check' (to verify or examine, from Old French 'eschequier', originally a chess term meaning to put the king in danger) with 'in' (indicating entry or arrival). Early uses referred to registering at hotels. By the early 1900s, the hyphenated noun 'check-in' appeared alongside the rise of commercial aviation and the hotel industry. The extended sense of contacting someone for regular updates (as in 'check in on a friend') developed in the mid-1900s.