accounting

UK: /əˈkaʊntɪŋ/ US: /əˈkaʊntɪŋ/ ,(ə koun′ting)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ac•count•ing /əˈkaʊntɪŋ/   n. 

1. Business [uncountable] the business or work of organizing, maintaining, and checking financial records.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ac•count•ing  (ə koun′ting), n. 

1. Business the theory and system of setting up, maintaining, and auditing the books of a firm;
   art of analyzing the financial position and operating results of a business house from a study of its sales, purchases, overhead, etc. (distinguished from bookkeeping).
2. Accounting, Business a detailed report of the financial state or transactions of a person or entity:
   an accounting of the estate.
3. Accounting, Business the rendering or submission of such a report.

• 1350–1400; Middle English; see account, -ing¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

accounting / əˈkaʊntɪŋ/ noun

1. the skill or practice of maintaining and auditing accounts and preparing reports on the assets, liabilities, etc, of a business

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ac•count /əˈkaʊnt/   n. 

1. a description of events or situations:
   [countable] an eyewitness account.
2. Business [countable] an amount of money deposited with a bank:
   a savings account.
3. Business a statement or record of financial transactions:
   [countable] The accounts show us to be in trouble.
4. Business a formal record of how much is owed to a particular person, business, etc:
   [countable] He hasn't settled his account yet.
5. Business a business relation in which credit is used:
   [uncountable] He bought the clothes on account.

v. [~ + for + object]

6. to give an explanation for:
   Can you account for your fingerprints on the gun?
7. to be the cause or source of: The New York market accounts for a lot of our sales.

Idioms

8. Idioms call to account, [ call + obj + to + ~]
   • to hold accountable;
     blame.
   • to ask for an explanation of.
9. Idioms hold to account, [ hold + obj + to + ~] to consider responsible and answerable:
   held the treasurer to account for the loss.
10. Idioms on account of, because of: The game was postponed on account of rain.
11. Idioms on no account, absolutely not:
    On no account should you hesitate to call on us.
12. Idioms on someone's account, for the sake of someone:
    Don't do it on my account.
13. take account of, [ ~ + obj] to consider;
    make allowance for:
    took account of the chance of rain.
14. take into account, to take into consideration: [ take + into + ~ + obj]:
    didn't take into account the cost of the project.
    [ take + obj + into + ~]:
    took it into account.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ac•count  (ə kount′), n. 

1. an oral or written description of particular events or situations;
   narrative:
   an account of the meetings; an account of the trip.
2. an explanatory statement of conduct, as to a superior.
3. a statement of reasons, causes, etc., explaining some event.
4. reason;
   basis:
   On this account I'm refusing your offer.
5. importance;
   worth;
   value;
   consequence:
   things of no account.
6. estimation;
   judgment:
   In his account it was an excellent piece of work.
7. Business an amount of money deposited with a bank, as in a checking or savings account:
   My account is now with Third National.
8. Business Also called charge account. an accommodation or service extended by a business to a customer or client permitting the charging of goods or services, the returning for credit of unsatisfactory merchandise, etc.:
   Do you have an account at this store? My account with the restaurant is past due.
9. Business a statement of financial transactions.
10. Business [Bookkeeping.]
    • a formal record of the debits and credits relating to the person, business, etc., named at the head of the ledger account.
    • a balance of a specified period's receipts and expenditures.
11. [Com.]
    • Business a business relation in which credit is used.
    • Business any customer or client, esp. one carried on a regular credit basis.
    • Business Also called advertising account. the business assigned to an advertising agency by a client:
      The toothpaste account was awarded to a new agency last year.
12. call to account:
    • to hold accountable;
      blame;
      reprimand:
      Call them to account for having endangered their lives.
    • ask for an explanation of.
13. give a good (bad, etc.) account of, to do something or conduct oneself in a good (bad, etc.) manner:
    She gave a good account of herself in the tennis tournament.
14. hold to account, to hold responsible;
    hold accountable or culpable:
    If any of the silver is missing, I'm going to hold you to account.
15. Business on account, as an installment or a partial payment:
    I can't pay the balance, but here's $10 on account.
16. on account of:
    • by reason of;
      because of.
    • for the sake of:
      She saw it through on account of me.
17. on all accounts, in any case;
    under any circumstances. Also, at all accounts. 
18. on no account, under no circumstances;
    absolutely not:
    On no account should you buy that painting without having it appraised.
19. take account of:
    • to make allowance for;
      consider:
      One must take account of the difficult circumstances. Taking account of the high overhead, the price is not excessive.
    • to notice or observe. Also, take into account. 
20. turn to account, to derive profit or use from;
    turn to advantage:
    She has turned her misfortunes to account.

v.i. 

21. to give an explanation (usually fol. by for):
    to account for the accident.
22. to answer concerning one's conduct, duties, etc. (usually fol. by for):
    to account for the missing typewriters.
23. to provide a report on money received, kept, and spent.
24. to cause (usually fol. by for):
    The humidity accounts for our discomfort. His reckless driving accounted for the accident.

v.t. 

25. to regard;
    consider as:
    I account myself well paid.
26. to assign or impute (usually fol. by to):
    the many virtues accounted to him.

• Old French acunter, acompter. See ac-, count¹
• Anglo-French, Old French aco(u)nte, acompte; (verb, verbal) Middle English ac(co)unten
• (noun, nominal) Middle English a(c)ount(e), ac(c)ompte 1225–75

Synonyms

• 1. report, chronicle. See narrative. 
• 2. justification.
• 5. import, significance.
• 6. consideration.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

account / əˈkaʊnt/ noun

1. a verbal or written report, description, or narration of some occurrence, event, etc
2. an explanation of conduct, esp one made to someone in authority
3. ground; basis; consideration (often in the phrases on this (that, every, no, etc) account, on account of)
4. importance, consequence, or value: of little account
5. assessment; judgment
6. profit or advantage: to turn an idea to account
7. part or behalf (only in the phrase on one'sorsomeone's account)
8. a business relationship between a bank, department store, stockbroker, etc, and a depositor, customer, or client permitting the latter certain banking or credit services
9. the sum of money deposited at a bank
10. the amount of credit available to the holder of an account
11. a record of these
12. a statement of monetary transactions with the resulting balance
13. a regular client or customer, esp a firm that purchases commodities on credit
14. an area of business assigned to another: they transferred their publicity account to a new agent
15. call to account, bring to account ⇒ to insist on explanation
16. to rebuke; reprimand
17. to hold responsible
18. give a bad account of oneself ⇒ to perform badly: he gave a bad account of himself in the examination
19. give a good account of oneself ⇒ to perform well
20. on account ⇒ on credit
21. Also: to account as partial payment
22. on account of ⇒ (preposition) because of; by reason of
23. take account of, take into account ⇒ to take into consideration; allow for
24. settle accounts with, square accounts with ⇒ to pay or receive a balance due
25. to get revenge on (someone)
26. See bank account, credit account

verb

1. (transitive) to consider or reckon: he accounts himself poor

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French acont, from conter, compter to count¹