reportable

IPA/rɪˈpɔː.tə.bəl/
KK[rɪpˈɔrtəbəl]IPA/rɪˈpɔːr.t̬ə.bəl/

reportable — adjective

  • reportablepositive
  • more reportablecomparative
  • most reportablesuperlative

1. describes something that a person, company, or organisation is legally or offici

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes something that a person, company, or organisation is legally or officially required to tell an authority about, such as an injury at work, a disease, a crime, or a financial transaction

Example

The company must record any reportable workplace injury in the safety log.

attributive: reportable + noun (injury)

Sari checked whether the consulting fee was reportable under the new tax rules.

predicative: be + reportable + under + regulation

Common collocations
  • reportable injury
  • reportable disease
  • reportable income
  • reportable transaction
  • reportable incident
  • reportable to the authorities
Synonyms
  • notifiable

    common in UK/Commonwealth law, especially for diseases; narrower than 'reportable'

  • declarable

    used mainly in customs and tax contexts for goods or income

  • must be disclosed

    phrasal, more formal, used in financial and legal documents

Antonyms
  • exempt

    not subject to a reporting requirement at all

  • non-reportable

    direct opposite, used in official classifications

Grammar Patterns

reportable + noun (attributive)

be + reportable + to + noun phrase

be + reportable + under + regulation/law

Usage Note

Common in tax forms, workplace safety documents, and public health regulations. This sense carries a legal obligation — failing to report a reportable event typically results in a penalty. Distinguish from sense 2 (NOTEWORTHY), which has no legal force.

Common Mistakes

The accident was reportable to the police yesterday.
The accident was reported to the police yesterday.
'reportable' describes the legal obligation, not the past action of reporting; use 'reported' for something already done.

2. interesting or important enough to tell other people about, especially because t

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

interesting or important enough to tell other people about, especially because the information would make a good news story or be worth sharing in a meeting

Example

The student's discovery was certainly reportable, so the local newspaper ran a short article.

predicative: be + reportable

Tremors from the earthquake were reportable only because they were felt across three different counties.

Common collocations
  • reportable achievement
  • reportable findings
  • reportable event
  • reportable discovery
  • considered reportable
Synonyms
  • newsworthy

    more common than 'reportable' in this sense; specifically implies news media interest

  • noteworthy

    broader than 'reportable'; can describe anything worth noticing, not just news

  • notable

    suggests something stands out among its kind, worth remembering

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + reportable

consider + noun + reportable

reportable + noun (attributive)

Usage Note

This sense is about news value or general interest, not legal obligation. Often used with 'consider' (e.g. 'considered reportable') or 'be' (e.g. 'was reportable'). Distinguish from sense 1 (MUST BE REPORTED), which refers to a legal duty.

Common Mistakes

The article was very reportable.
The article covered a reportable event.
'reportable' describes the event or fact itself, not the article that reports on it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

Newsworthy, noteworthy, notable, and remarkable all describe something that deserves attention, but they differ in nuance. Newsworthy specifically suggests the information would interest a news audience — it implies public, journalistic value. Noteworthy is broader and more neutral, describing anything worth noticing, whether positive or negative. Notable often carries a sense of being distinct or standing out among similar things, sometimes with an implication of being remembered. Remarkable is the strongest of the four, suggesting something is surprising or unusual enough to cause comment — it always includes an element of mild astonishment. For example: a minor policy change may be noteworthy but not newsworthy. A student's exceptional exam result could be notable or even remarkable. A scientist's unexpected discovery might be all four.

newsworthy ↗noteworthy ↗notable ↗remarkable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • reportable to the authorities
  • considered reportable
  • deemed reportable
  • classified as reportable

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Reportable comes from the verb 'report', which traces back through Old French 'reporter' to Latin 'reportare', meaning 'to carry back' (from 're-', meaning back, and 'portare', meaning to carry). The suffix '-able' was added in English to form the adjective, originally meaning 'capable of being reported'. Over time the word developed a second sense, 'required by law to be reported', through its frequent use in official and regulatory language.

First known use

1518

1518, in the meaning defined at sense 1