"Rapport" comes straight from French, where it means "harmony or agreement between people," and it traces back further to Latin bits that literally mean "a bringing back."

When we took "rapport" into English, we first used it to mean "report," as in a bringing back of information. But over time, the sense of sharing information and communicating closely became more figurative, more about connectedness and harmony. We'd talk about the rapport between the muscles and the brain, or between thoughts and words, for example. This sense of "rapport" as not just a flow of information but also a harmonious connection was picked up by early psychologists, who realized it was essential to establish that kind of relationship between the therapist and the patient.

So, since the 1920s, the most common meaning of "rapport" has been "a close connection between people, the kind where they get along well together and find it easy to connect, understand each other, and influence each other."

Part of speech:

Noun, usually the uncountable kind: "They've built rapport with each other."

Sometimes the countable kind: "They've built an easy rapport with each other."

Other forms: 

None.

how to use it:

"Rapport" is a formal, common word with a positive tone. And with that silent T, it still sounds French and therefore fancy to the American ear.

Say that two people or groups have rapport, or have rapport with each other.

You could also talk about people building or establishing rapport.

Although we most often talk about rapport between people, we can also get figurative and talk about, say, people and nature having rapport, or the tides and the moon having rapport, or you and the English language having rapport. Marie Kondo believes that our personal belongings have rapport with us, more so when we care for them and keep them tidy.

Finally, it's less common, but you can say that someone is in rapport with someone else. Here's Arthur Conan Doyle: "I had been in rapport with you."

examples:

"He and Peeta already have the rapport they established that night of the first interview, that easy banter, so I just smile a lot and try to speak as little as possible." 
  — Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, 2008

"Around Iron Mountain his rapport with the creatures of the forest was legendary... 'He’d find some animal in a trap... heal it, and then let it go again.'" 
  — Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild, 1996

has this page helped you understand "rapport"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "rapport" without saying "friendship" or "solidarity."

try it out:

When we were kids, my sister Heidi and I enjoyed a strong rapport with our karate instructor, Steve. It was like we were family from the moment we met: it was so easy for us to get along with him and learn from him. He called us, collectively, Heisl (instead of Heidi and Liesl) and played video games with us on his computer before class. Great times.

With this in mind as an example, talk about a teacher, an instructor, a manager, or some other authority figure in your life with whom you enjoyed rapport.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "What Are You Implying?"

Build your word-finding muscle as you reach for synonyms with various implications.

For example, what's a synonym for "living thing" that
   1. ...implies that someone made it?
   2. ...implies that it simply exists?
   3. ...implies that it has an intangible essence?

Your answers could be 1. "creature," 2. "being," and 3. "soul."

Try these today:

What's a synonym for "exclude" that
   1. ...implies that people have thrown others back or away?
   2. ...implies that people have forced others out of society?
   3. ...implies that people have made a list of others to exclude?

To see some possible answers, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. A near opposite of RAPPORT is

A. ALACRITY: a feeling of cheerful, lively eagerness to do something.
B. UNANIMITY: a feeling of strong agreement among all members of a group.
C. ENMITY: a feeling of strong dislike between people that usually flows both ways.

2. In her autobiography, Corrie ten Boom recalls learning to repair watches from her father, who had an "almost mystic rapport _____ the harmonies of watchworks."

A. in
B. for
C. with

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. C From the game: Lots of good answers are possible! Here are mine: What's a synonym for "exclude" that    1. ...implies that people have thrown others back or away? "Reject."    2. ...implies that people have forced others out of society? "Ostracize."    3. ...implies that people have made a list of others to exclude? "Blacklist."

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.