means A definite expression of a fact, opinion, or position—something said or written that takes a clear stance rather than merely asking.

from From the Latin 'status,' meaning a standing or condition (and a cousin of 'stand' itself), which gave English 'state'—first the noun, then the verb meaning to set forth in words. 'Statement' is the act of stating, built with the '-ment' suffix that turns a verb into the thing it produces. So at its root, a statement is something made to stand: planted upright, committed, unmoving.