track record
(redirected from a good track record)track record
A history of someone's or something's performance, often cited as a predictor of how they will perform in the future. The mayor brought in the new police chief because he has a strong track record of reducing crime in inner-city neighborhoods. The company had an almost perfect track record before the scandal, which made it even more shocking. The boss is trusting them with our new website, but their track record isn't the best.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
track record
A record of actual performance or achievements, as in This applicant has an excellent track record. This term probably comes from horse racing, where it signifies the best time a horse has ever achieved at a particular track or over a particular distance. However, some believe it alludes to track and field records. Its figurative use dates from the late 1940s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
a track record
COMMON The track record of a person, company, or product is the reputation they have, based on what they have done or how good they have been in the past. He joined the BBC as a trainee and quickly developed a track record as an inventive programme maker. Glasgow Museums and Galleries have a proven track record of attracting very large audiences. The region is known to have a poor track record in research. Note: An athlete's track record is a record of the performances he or she has achieved.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
a ˌtrack ˈrecord
all a person’s or an organization’s successes or failures in the past: In business your track record is more important than your qualifications.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
track record
The sum of a person’s performance or achievements in a given line. The term comes from horse racing, where it is defined as the best time a horse ever made over a given distance on a particular track. It was transferred to human endeavor about 1950. “[Billy] Wilder has had a series of extremely successful pictures. . . . We were betting on his track record that this one would be, too” (Life, 1965).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer