news

news S1 W1 /njuːz $ nuːz/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Word Family: adjective: ↑new, ↑renewable, ↑renewed, ↑newsy; noun: ↑news, ↑renewal; verb: ↑renew; adverb: ↑newly]
[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: new]
1. information about something that has happened recently:
I hope to have some good news for you soon.
news that
We are delighted at the news that our daughter is expecting a baby.
news on
What’s the latest news on your university application?
news of/about
Everyone is shocked by the news of the arrests.
GRAMMAR
News is an uncountable noun. Use singular forms with it, not plural ones:
▪ The news was good (NOT were good).
▪ I was surprised by this news (NOT these news).
2. reports of recent events in the newspapers or on the radio or television:
a late evening news broadcast
We’ve got the news headlines coming up at half past twelve.
a news and current affairs programme
Here’s the sports news from Jane Murray.
the latest news from the Olympic stadium
news about/on/of
news on the latest developments in the talks
news that
Several evening papers carried the news that a cabinet minister was about to resign.
local/regional/national/international news
Twenty years ago environmental issues rarely made the news (=were rarely considered important enough to be in the news).
be in the news
Hong Kong is in the news this morning.
His resignation was front page news (=was important news).
news story/report/item
Never before has a news story triggered such sensational sales of the newspaper.
3. the news a regular television or radio programme that gives you reports of recent events:
the ten o'clock news
Let’s watch the news.
Be quiet. I want to listen to the news.
on the news
It must be true – I heard it on the news last night.
switch/turn/put on the news (=turn the television or radio on for the news)
4. be good/bad news for somebody if the facts about something are good or bad news for someone, they are likely to make life better or worse for them:
There is no legal market for African ivory, which is good news for the elephants.
5. he’s/she’s bad news informal used to say that someone is likely to cause trouble:
Stay away from that guy, he’s bad news.
6. be news if someone or something is news, people are interested in them at the moment and want to know about them:
European fashions are big news right now in the States.
7. that’s news to me! spoken used when you are surprised or annoyed because you have not been told something earlier:
‘The meeting’s been cancelled.’ ‘That’s news to me!’
8. I’ve got news for you spoken used to say that you are going to tell someone the facts about something, which they will probably not like to hear:
You may think I’m finished, but I’ve got news for you – I’ll be back.
9. no news is good news spoken used when you have not received any news about someone and you hope this means that nothing bad has happened
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ good news He’s feeling much better, so that’s good news.
▪ great/wonderful news They're getting married? That's wonderful news!
▪ welcome news (=good news that makes you happy) The lower interest rates will be welcome news to home owners.
▪ bad news ‘I’m afraid I have bad news,’ said Jackson. | Have you heard the terrible news about Simon?
▪ terrible news (=very bad)
▪ the latest news Mom sent a letter with all the latest news.
▪ old news (=news that you have already heard) She wasn’t surprised; it was old news to her.
▪ important news I've got some important news to tell you.
▪ the big news informal (=an important piece of news) The big news is that Polly and Richard are going to get married.
■ verbs
▪ have some news (for somebody) I could tell by his face that he had some news.
▪ tell somebody the news Jack called him to tell him the good news.
▪ break the news (to somebody) (=tell someone some bad news) Two policemen came to the door to break the news about her husband.
▪ spread the news (=tell a lot of people the news) After she had the baby, her husband made phone calls to spread the happy news.
▪ hear the news (=hear about something that has happened) She was really upset when she heard the news.
▪ welcome the news formal (=say that you are pleased about some news) Environmental groups welcomed the news that the area would be protected.
▪ greet the news with surprise/delight etc formal (=react to the news in a particular way) Fans greeted the news of the victory with a loud cheer.
▪ news spreads (=a lot of people find out the news from other people) News spreads fast in a small town.
■ phrases
▪ a piece of news (also a bit of news British English) Leo thought about this piece of news carefully.
▪ the good news is …/the bad news is ... (=used to introduce a piece of good and bad news) The good news is that most stores have the game in stock; the bad news is that it's not cheap.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

news

news [njuːz] [nuːz] noun uncountable
1. new information about sth that has happened recently
• What's the latest news?
• Have you heard the news? Pat's leaving!
• That's great news.
• Tell me all your news.
• Have you had any news of Patrick?
• Any news on the deal?
• Messengers brought news that the battle had been lost.
• Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
• a piece/bit of news

• (informal) It's news to me (= I haven't heard it before).

2. reports of recent events that appear in newspapers or on television or radio
• national/international news
• a news story/item/report
• News of a serious road accident is just coming in.
• breaking news (= news that is arriving about events that have just happened)
• She is always in the news.

• The wedding was front-page news.

3. the news a regular television or radio broadcast of the latest news
• to listen to/watch the news
• Can you put the news on?
• I saw it on the news.

• the nine o'clock news

4. a person, thing or event that is considered to be interesting enough to be reported as news
• Pop stars are always news.
see also newsy
Idioms: bad news ▪ break the news ▪ good news ▪ no news is good news
Word Origin:
late Middle English: plural of new, translating Old French noveles or medieval Latin nova ‘new things’.
Thesaurus:
news [news] noun U
• Have you heard the news? Pat's coming home!
• I saw it on the news.
word • • report • • bulletin • • story • • item •
news/word/a report/a bulletin/a story/an item about/on sb/sth
news/word/a report of sb/sth
have/get/receive/hear news/word/a report/a bulletin
Example Bank:
• And now with news from the Games, over to our Olympic correspondent.
• California's energy crisis dominated the news.
• Drug companies tend to bury news of drug failures.
• Every news channel covered the story.
• Great news! We've bought the house.
• Have you heard the latest news?
• He gave his first news briefing since being appointed.
• He shared his good news with everyone else in the office.
• He took a moment to digest the unbelievable news.
• I don't really have any news to report.
• I follow food industry news fairly closely.
• I heard it on the evening news.
• I heard it on the ten o'clock news.
• I want to catch up on all your news.
• I'm not interested in news about celebrities.
• If you're a news junkie, you can get updates mailed to you.
• Is there any news on the car bomb attack?
• It was a very minor incident and barely made the news.
• It was front-page news at the time.
• It was news to me that they were married.
• It's the reporter's job to go out and gather news.
• Joan came in with the news that a pay rise had been agreed.
• Mrs Trowsdale will be celebrating the news with her family.
• News coverage of the fighting was extremely biased.
• News is coming in of a large fire in central London.
• News of their engagement was leaked to the press.
• Our school was mentioned in the news.
• Programmes were interrupted for a news flash.
• She ran from office to office, spreading the news.
• She went completely to pieces at the news of his death.
• She's been in the news a lot lately.
• Some late news has just come in.
• The actor's family released news of his death last night.
• The company refused to confirm the news.
• The former manager gave his first news conference since being sacked.
• The good news is that we've all been given an extra day's leave.
• The news broke while we were away.
• The news is read by Harriet Daly.
• The news spread like wildfire.
• The news was greeted with astonishment.
• The news was posted on the band's website.
• The police had to break the news to the boy's parents.
• They are waiting for news of their relatives.
• We've had a bit of good news.
• You can catch all the latest news on our website.
• You can get news alerts through your cell phone.
• a downloadable news digest
• news of fresh killings
• Have you heard the news? Pat's coming home!
• Here's a piece of news that may interest you.
• It's news to me.
• She is always in the news.
• That's great news.

• to listen to/watch the news

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

news

news /njuːz/ US /nuːz/
noun [U]
1 information or reports about recent events:
That's the best (piece of) news I've heard for a long time!
We've had no news of them since they left for Australia.
Have you heard the news about Tina and Tom? They're getting divorced.
Do write and tell us all your news.
[+ that] The news that Madge had resigned took everyone by surprise.
We've got some good news for you. We're getting married.

2 the news a television or radio programme consisting of reports about recent events:
I usually watch the early evening/late night news.
Was there anything interesting on the news this evening?

newsy /ˈnjuː.zi/ US /ˈnuː-/
adjective INFORMAL
containing a lot of news that is personal or not very serious:
I got a lovely long newsy letter from Bec.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

news

/nju:z, AM nu:z/

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
News is information about a recently changed situation or a recent event.
We waited and waited for news of him...
They still haven’t had any news about when they’ll be able to go home...
I wish I had better news for you...
He’s thrilled to bits at the news.
N-UNCOUNT: oft N prep

2.
News is information that is published in newspapers and broadcast on radio and television about recent events in the country or world or in a particular area of activity.
Foreign News is on Page 16...
We’ll also have the latest sports news...
The announcement was made at a news conference...
Those are some of the top stories in the news.
N-UNCOUNT: also the N

3.
The news is a television or radio broadcast which consists of information about recent events in the country or the world.
I heard all about the bombs on the news.
...the six o’clock news.
N-SING: the N

4.
If you say that someone or something is news, you mean that they are considered to be interesting and important at the moment, and that people want to hear about them on the radio and television and in newspapers. (INFORMAL)
A murder was big news...
If you are a celebrity, you are headline news.
N-UNCOUNT: usu supp N

5.
If you say that something is bad news, you mean that it will cause you trouble or problems. If you say that something is good news, you mean that it will be useful or helpful to you.
The drop in travel is bad news for the airline industry...
This new attitude is good news to AIDS activists.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, usu PHR for/to n

6.
If you say that something is news to you, you mean that you did not previously know what you have just been told, especially when you are surprised or annoyed about it.
I’d certainly tell you if I knew anything, but I don’t. What you’re saying is news to me.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n

news