accounting

noun

ac·​count·​ing ə-ˈkau̇n-tiŋ How to pronounce accounting (audio)
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.

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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accounting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of accounting was circa 1676

Dictionary Entries Near accounting

Cite this Entry

“Accounting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accounting. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

accounting

noun
ac·​count·​ing ə-ˈkau̇nt-iŋ How to pronounce accounting (audio)
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 expendituresCase & Comment
2
: the settlement by judicial action of the assets of a partnership (as upon dissolution)

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