account
Definition of account
1a : a record of debit (see 2debit 1a) and credit (see 1credit 2d) entries to cover transactions involving a particular item or a particular person or concernb : a statement of transactions during a fiscal period and the resulting balancec archaic : reckoning, computation
2a : a statement explaining one's conduct She was asked to give an account of her actions.b : a statement or exposition of reasons, causes, or motives no satisfactory account of these phenomenac : a reason for an action : basis On that account I must refuse.
3a (1) : a formal business arrangement providing for regular dealings or services (such as banking, advertising, or store credit) and involving the establishment and maintenance of an account a checking account; also : client, customer They are one of our most important accounts. (2) : money deposited in a bank account and subject to withdrawal by the depositorb : an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or e-mail services of a particular company
4a : value, importance It's of no account to me.b : esteem stood high in their account
5 : advantage turned her wit to good account
6a : careful thought : consideration have to take many things into accountb : a usually mental record : track Keep account of all you do.
7 : a description of facts, conditions, or events : report, narrative the newspaper account of the fire By all accounts they're well-off.; also : performance a straightforward account of the sonata
give a good account of oneself
: to perform well especially in a competition or confrontation : to acquit oneself well Though he has an aristocratic bearing, he could probably give a good account of himself in a street fight. — Ishmael Reed
on account
on account of
on no account
on one's own account
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Examples of account in a Sentence
the difference between the debit and credit sides of an account
We always keep very good accounts.
We opened new accounts at a bank last week.
I took out my money and closed my account.
You can withdraw up to $1,000 a day from your account.
Every week, she puts a part of her paycheck into a separate account.
setting up a bank account
Recent Examples of account from the Web
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Hochstein wanted to know if Lederman’s claims that her FB account was hacked by someone who posted the comment was true.
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Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, who authored the bill to create Advanced Opportunities that led to the $4,100 account for students, said dual credit should allow students to explore college classes in high school.
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Though a ruling against Sharif may prompt more selling -- on top of a widening current account deficit and a recent currency wobble -- there’s reason to believe the chaos may not hinder economic growth in the longer term.
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By all accounts, Fisher and Brandolese were both bright and sensitive souls.
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And NSF officials would also have to find that money by taxing existing programs within the research account.
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Snooki (real name: Nicole Polizzi) recently teased the series, posting photos of the cast together on her Snapchat account with the straightforward hashtag #JerseyShoreReunion.
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Tages, of Plainfield, pleaded guilty in 2013 to two counts of filing false tax returns in 2006 as part of a scheme in which payments from Aurora Health Center patients were deposited into a personal bank account between 2004 and 2008.
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Federal prosecutors say McCullum created Hotmail and Facebook accounts, using a fake name, to share the images with other members of Congress.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'account.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of account
Middle English acounte, accompt, borrowed from Anglo-French acunte, acounte, noun derivative of acunter “to 2account”
Other Business Terms
account
Definition of account
intransitive verb
1 : to furnish a justifying analysis or explanation —used with for couldn't account for the loss
2a : to be the sole or primary factor —used with for The left fielder accounted for all three putouts.b : to bring about the capture, death, or destruction of something —used with for Enemy fighters accounted for two of the bombers.
transitive verb
1 : to think of as : consider accounts himself lucky
2 : to probe into : analyze
Examples of account in a Sentence
account themselves lucky to be alive
Recent Examples of account from the Web
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At its peak in 1980, mining accounted for a fifth of the country’s GDP; the number now stands at 7.3%.
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An average of more than 23 million Americans watched each episode last season when platforms like streaming and video on demand are accounted for.
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In 2009, Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter had nine sacks, but those sacks accounted for an unusually high percentage of his hurries.
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Will be snapping from the @nytimes snapchat account with more scenes tmrw! #CannesLions.
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Almost 37,000 property owners have not paid one or both of their 2016- 2017 property tax installments, accounting for $92.9 million in property taxes still owed.
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Currently, many researchers agree that 60 to 70 genes are related to the syndrome, but those genes account for no more than 20 percent of the cases — the best medicine can do so far.
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Amnesty International reports that suicide now accounts for 57 percent of deaths of pregnant females ages 10-19 in El Salvador.
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So how to account for his film version, one without menace or shadows or the voluptuous morbidity that’s the hallmark of gothic melodrama?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'account.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Financial Definition of ACCOUNT
account
What It Is
On account is a term that describes situations in which a customer makes a partial payment for goods or services purchased.
How It Works
In the business world, buying things on account is the same as creating accounts payable. For example, let's assume that Company XYZ orders $1 million in widget parts from its supplier.
Company XYZ pays the supplier $100,000 and puts the other $900,000 on account. This basically means it will pay the rest later -- let's say in 60 days.
Why It Matters
Buying things on account is similar to saying, "put it on my tab." Eventually, however, you have to pay the tab. In our example, the transaction requires careful accounting. Once Company XYZ places its order and/or receives the parts, it will increase its inventory account by $1 million, decrease its cash by $100,000, and increase its accounts payable by $900,000. When 60 days has passed and Company XYZ pays the invoice, it will reduce cash by $900,000 and reduce its accounts payable by $900,000.
Technically, any kind of installment loan (such as your mortgage or car loan) is akin to putting something on account. In the business world, putting things on account usually creates accounts payable (or A/P). A/P is a liability, and as such, it appears on the balance sheet.
In turn, when accounts payable go down, this is considered a use of cash on the company's cash flow statement, and as such, it reduces the company's working capital (defined as current assets minus current liabilities). When accounts payable goes up, this is considered a source of cash on the company's cash flow statement because the company is "stretching out" the time it takes to pay its invoices and thus not using cash as quickly.
ACCOUNT Defined for English Language Learners
account
Definition of account for English Language Learners
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: a record of money that has been paid and money that has been received
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accounts : records of income and expenses
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: an arrangement in which a bank keeps a record of the money that a person puts in and takes out of the bank
account
Definition of account for English Language Learners
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: to think of (someone or something) in a specified way
ACCOUNT Defined for Kids
account
Definition of account for Students
1 : a record of money received and money paid out
2 : an arrangement with a bank to hold money and keep records of transactions
3 : an arrangement for regular dealings with a business
4 : an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or e-mail services of a particular company
5 : a statement of explanation or of reasons or causes You'll be asked to give an account of your actions.
6 : a statement of facts or events : report Give me an account of the game.
7 : 2worth 1, importance It's of no account to them what I think.
on account of
: because of We cancelled on account of the rain.
on someone's account
account
Definition of account for Students
accounted
;accounting
: to think of as He accounted himself lucky.
account for
1 : to take into consideration She didn't account for extra costs.
2 : to give an explanation How do you account for your success?
3 : to be the cause of The flu accounts for many absences.
4 : to make up or form Women account for half the employees.
Law Dictionary
account
Legal Definition of account
1a : a record of debit and credit entries to cover transactions involving a particular item (as cash or notes receivable) or a particular person or concern b : a statement of transactions during a fiscal period showing the resulting balance —sometimes used in the plural trustees filed annual accounts as required by statute — W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
2 : a periodically rendered reckoning (as one listing charged purchases and credits)
3 : a sum of money or its equivalent deposited in the common cash of a bank and subject to withdrawal at the option of the depositor
4 : a right under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code to payment for goods or services which is not contained in an instrument or chattel paper and that may or may not have been earned by performance
account
Legal Definition of account
: to give a financial account a duty to account
Learn More about account
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See words that rhyme with account Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for account Spanish Central: Translation of account Nglish: Translation of account for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of account for Arabic speakers
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