audit

1 of 2

noun

au·​dit ˈȯ-dət How to pronounce audit (audio)
1
a
: a formal examination of an organization's or individual's accounts or financial situation
The audit showed that the company had misled investors.
b
: the final report of an audit
2
: a methodical examination and review
an energy audit of the house

audit

2 of 2

verb

audited; auditing; audits

transitive verb

1
: to perform an audit of or for
audit the books
audit the company
2
: to attend (a course) without working for or expecting to receive formal credit
audited a foreign language course
auditability noun
auditable adjective
auditee noun

Examples of audit in a Sentence

Noun The Internal Revenue Service selected us for an audit. You will need all your records if you are selected for audit by the IRS. Verb They audit the company books every year. The Internal Revenue Service audited him twice in 10 years. I audited an English literature class last semester.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This is the second audit of its kind the school has faced over the last year from the state-level agency. The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 Virginia Natural Gas customers who complete an online energy audit, for example, will receive one of three free energy-savings kits. Laura Daily, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 But the audit is only a snapshot in time, Safer Espinoza said. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 During the audit, the government says, Adams lied to an IRS agent multiple times, including by claiming that 90% of the money MDA Property Services was being paid by Company A was for legitimate work, when the true figure was 3%. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 The audit determined that the difficulty of deciding upon a design for the mission’s Capture, Containment and Return System significantly threw off budget and timeline estimates. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The audit also included major Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which builds the fuselages for the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, among other items. Pete Muntean, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The regulatory onslaught goes well beyond investigations and audits and to the heart of Boeing’s operations. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 As the Times explains: The audit at Boeing was wide ranging, covering many parts of the 737 Max, including its wings and an assortment of other systems. Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
The agency annually calculates the overall financial health of private institutions participating in federal student aid programs based on schools’ audited financial statements. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 On the contrary, every title is tested and audited for a randomized outcome before it gets approved. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 On the other hand, CPAs command a broad spectrum of financial expertise, from auditing to strategic financial planning, serving a critical role in a wide array of business and financial contexts. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 States must audit their voter rolls and remove anyone who is ineligible, which includes immigrants in the country illegally. Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 CPAs also play crucial roles in public service, offering their skills in financial management, compliance, and auditing to ensure the responsible use of resources. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 As a result, information security is moving from mainly a compliance and audit responsibility to a core business function—prioritizing cyber resilience as the key to safeguarding organizations from an evolving threat landscape. Brian Spanswick, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Some Jewish alumni are auditing Harvard’s course offerings and critiquing its inclusion policies in an effort to fight antisemitism, the Boston Globe reported over the weekend. Matt Egan, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 The platform automates reporting and auditing cash sales at no additional cost. Journal Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'audit.' 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

Noun

Middle English audyte "examination of accounts, judicial hearing," borrowed from Medieval Latin audītus "sense of hearing, act of listening, right to judicial hearing, examination of accounts," going back to Latin, "sense or act of hearing," from audīre "to hear" + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at audible entry 1

Note: The sense "examination of accounts," attested relatively late in Medieval Latin, is based on the word audītor, which in the meaning "one who examines accounts" is recorded much earlier—see auditor.

Verb

Middle English audyten, derivative of audyte audit entry 1; in sense 2 back-formation from auditor

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of audit was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near audit

Cite this Entry

“Audit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audit. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

audit

1 of 2 noun
au·​dit ˈȯd-ət How to pronounce audit (audio)
1
: a thorough check of accounts especially of a business
2
: a careful check or review
an energy audit of our house

audit

2 of 2 verb
: to make an audit of

Legal Definition

audit

noun
au·​dit ˈȯ-dət How to pronounce audit (audio)
: a formal examination of financial records often to uncover fraud or inaccurate tax returns
also : the final report of such an examination
audit verb

More from Merriam-Webster on audit

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