[f. STATE v. + -MENT.]
1. The action or an act of stating, alleging or enunciating; the manner in which something is stated.
1789. Polit. Geog.; Introd. Statist. Tables Europe, 7. Not from an imaginary picture,… but exhibited in the sober garb of exact statement, backed with the irresistible force of arithmetical demonstration.
1841. Macaulay, Ess., Ld. Holland (1897), 600. In statement, the late Lord Holland was not successful; his chief excellence lay in reply.
1885. Pearson, in Law Rep. 29 Chanc. Div. 558. I think Mr. Farwell’s statement of the law is correct.
Mod. The book is a model of cautious and accurate statement.
b. Mus. A presentation of a subject or theme in a composition.
1883. Grove’s Dict. Mus., III. 568/2. Occasionally the middle repeats [of the theme] are variations, and the first and last statements simple and identical.
1887. Daily News, 22 Nov., 3/2. It [the Overture] is very brief, and bears few signs of maturity, although in the first statement of the second subject, and again in the ‘working out,’ occur some charming examples of [etc.].
2. Something that is stated; an allegation, declaration.
1775. Ash, Suppl., Statement, the thing stated.
1787. Malone, Diss. Three Pts. K. Hen. VI., 37. This statement was taken from the old quarto play; and, from carelessness, was adopted by Shakspeare without any material alteration.
1796. Jane Austen, Pride & Prej., xxxvi. (1906), 176. She put down the letter, weighed every circumstance…—deliberated on the probability of each statement—but with little success.
1833. Cruse, Eusebius, I. vii. 32. Neither of the gospels has made a false statement.
1838. Civil Engin. & Arch. Jrnl., I. 239/1. There is much useful matter … to be culled from the statements of both parties.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 258. The moderns have certainly no reason to acquiesce in the statement, that truth is appearance only.
1905. J. B. Bury, Life St. Patrick, App. 279. The statement that he was ordained in his twenty-fifth year seems to stand alone.
3. A written or oral communication setting forth facts, arguments, demands, or the like.
1787. Malone, Diss. Three Pts. K. Hen. VI., 15. A correct statement of the issue of King Edward the Third … is given in The first part of K. Henry VI.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., III. vii. 696. His annual statement to the House of Commons of the financial condition of the Kingdom.
1891. S. C. Scrivener, Our Fields & Cities, 43. Some of the farmers avoid paying taxes; they make a ‘statement’ instead.
1898. W. J. Greenwood, Commerc. Corresp. (ed. 2), 155. I have decided to call a meeting of my creditors … when I shall submit to them a statement of my affairs.
1912. Times, 19 Dec., 2/5. The plaintiff alleged by his statement of claim that [etc.].
b. Comm. (More fully statement of account): a document setting out the items of debit and credit between two parties.
1897. F. Hooper & J. Graham, Mod. Business Methods, 38. The next step is to send in what is called a Statement. This, as its name implies, is a short statement of account between the parties.
1910. Fieldhouse, Business Methods, 115. It is customary for the Creditor … to send to the Debtor … a statement, which is an account, rendered at certain periods … giving dates and amounts only (no details) of each delivery of goods since the last Statement or balancing.
4. Comm. In certain branches of industry, a document periodically issued, setting forth the prices to be paid to workmen for various kinds of piece-work. Also attrib. as statement price, wages.
1889. D. F. Schloss, in Charity Org. Rev., Jan., 7. These workmen receive a rate of wages fixed by the Union and embodied in a ‘statement.’
1897. Daily News, 12 April, 2/5. In several cases manufacturers have offered by public advertisement an increase of ten per cent. above statement wages.
1900. C. Russell & H. S. Lewis, Jew in Lond., 79. [In the boot and shoe trade] the better class of work is still done by Englishmen under ‘statement’ prices.
