accounting

ac·count·ing

noun \ə-ˈkau̇n-tiŋ\

: the skill, system, or job of keeping the financial records of a business or person

Full Definition of ACCOUNTING

1

:  the system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and reporting the results; also :  the principles and procedures of accounting

2

a :  work done in accounting or by accountants

b :  an instance of applied accounting or of the settling or presenting of accounts

3

:  account 3

Examples of ACCOUNTING

1. <what accounting can you give for your bizarre actions on the night in question?>

First Known Use of ACCOUNTING

1713

Related to ACCOUNTING

Synonyms

account, reason, argument, case, explanation, rationale

Related Words

alibi, apologia, apology, defense, excuse, justification, vindication; appeal, plea; guise, pretense (or pretence), pretext, rationalization

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

Rhymes with ACCOUNTING

and counting

accounting

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Systematic development and analysis of information about the economic affairs of an organization. The actual recording and summarizing of financial transactions is known as bookkeeping. When the data thus produced are abstracted in reports (usually quarterly or annually) for the use of persons outside the organization, the process is called financial accounting. Three reports are typically generated in financial accounting: the balance sheet, which summarizes the firm's assets and liabilities; the income statement, which reports the firm's gross proceeds, expenses, and profit or loss; and the statement of cash flow, which analyzes the flow of cash into and out of the firm. The creation of reports (usually monthly) for internal planning and decision-making is called managerial accounting. Its aim is to provide managers with reliable information on the costs of operations and on standards with which those costs can be compared, to assist them in budgeting.