accounting

noun

ac·​count·​ing ə-ˈkau̇n-tiŋ 

1

: the system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and reporting the results

also : the principles and procedures of this system

studied accounting as a freshman

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 sense 2

They were required to provide a detailed accounting of their actions.

Synonyms

• account
• argument
• case
• explanation
• rationale
• reason

Examples of accounting in a Sentence

what accounting can you give for your bizarre actions on the night in question?

Recent Examples on the Web

While his accounting is impossible to verify fully, GeoConfirmed, an open-source reporting project, used commercially available satellite imagery to verify that at least 197 Russian vehicles had been damaged or destroyed between Oct. 9 and Nov. 1. —Marc Santora Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023

Clay Schoen, El Cajon director of finance, said that the general fund is expected to close at $62.3 million when accounting is done for the year, which is about 68 percent of the city’s annual expenditures. —Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Nov. 2023

Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. —Bill Keen, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

Fisker said a new chief accounting officer began work this past week. —Sean McLain, WSJ, 13 Nov. 2023

Lem was promoted from the role of chief accounting officer, VP and treasurer. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023

Over-reliance on GE Capital to stabilize quarterly performance blew up when people finally figured out the creative accounting. —Cory Munchbach, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

Medium-term accounting forecasts now have China in the 3 percent range from the medium term onward, with the United States expected to achieve average growth of around 2 percent, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. —Daniel H. Rosen, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2023

The accounting shortcut has broader applicability, and particularly as inflation and interest rates have hit multi decade high levels in recent years. —Anna-Louise Jackson, wsj.com, 11 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English acountynge "reckoning, calculation," from gerund of accounten "to account entry 2"

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Phrases Containing accounting

• cost accounting
• there's no accounting for taste

• cost accounting
• there's no accounting for taste

Kids Definition

accounting

noun

ac·​count·​ing ə-ˈkau̇nt-iŋ 

1

: the system or practice of recording the amounts of money made and spent by a person or business

2

: a statement explaining one's conduct : account sense 5a

Legal Definition

accounting

noun

ac·​count·​ing

1

: an often court-ordered presentment or examination of accounts

a complete accounting would be necessary to determine the nature of the expenditures

—Case & Comment

2

: the settlement by judicial action of the assets of a partnership (as upon dissolution)