For publication; for public knowledge. Originating in the twentieth century, this expression appeared in Arthur Clarke's science-fiction novel, Prelude to Space (1953): For the record, you can be one of our legal advisers. See also off the record.
Why do they say for the record?
If you say that what you are going to say next is for the record, you mean that you are saying it publicly and officially and you want it to be written down and remembered. We're willing to state for the record that it has enormous value.
When was the word record first used?
The first records of the verb record come from around 1175. It ultimately comes from the Latin recordārī, meaning to remember or to recollect. The first records of the noun record come from around 1325. It ultimately comes from the Old French recorder.
What is a root word that means to record?
"Just for the record" is an idiom in the English language used to indicate that a person is trying to clarify his ideas or his stance on a given issue to a group of listeners or readers.