1
a
: a record of debit (see debit entry 2 sense 1a) and credit (see credit entry 1 sense 2d) entries to cover transactions involving a particular item or a particular person or concern
b
: a statement of transactions during a fiscal period and the resulting balance
c
archaic
: reckoning, computation
2
a
: 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 phenomena
c
: a reason for an action : basis
On that account I must refuse.
3
a(1)
(2)
: money deposited in a bank account and subject to withdrawal by the depositor
b
: an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or email services of a particular company
4
a
: value, importance
It's of no account to me.
b
: esteem
stood high in their account
5
: advantage
turned her wit to good account
6
a
: careful thought : consideration
factoring all of these issues into account
see also take account of
b
: a usually mental record : track
Keep account of all you do.
accounted; accounting; accounts
1
: to furnish a justifying analysis or explanation
—used with for
couldn't account for the loss
2
a
: 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.
Phrases
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
Ishmael Reed
: with the price charged to one's account
purchasing on account
: for the sake of : because of
The game was cancelled on account of rain.
: under no circumstances
On no account should the children be left alone at home.
1
: on one's own behalf
I'm doing it on my own account, not for anyone else.
2
: at one's own risk
3
: by oneself : on one's own
Examples of account in a Sentence
Noun
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
Verb
account themselves lucky to be alive
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
Importantly, electronic medical record systems and treatment information were not accessed, and no financial account, payment or employee HR information was involved.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
In most lineups, Freeman would be the bat for opposing arms to pitch around and for managers to account for.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for account
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
In search of a motive, detectives got a search warrant for the victim’s CSUN email account, court records show.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
Importantly, electronic medical record systems and treatment information were not accessed, and no financial account, payment or employee HR information was involved.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
The engine of the US economy is the American consumer, whose spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
In most lineups, Freeman would be the bat for opposing arms to pitch around and for managers to account for.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for account
Cite this Entry
“Account.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/account. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
account
1 of 2 noun
ac·count
ə-ˈkau̇nt 
1
: a record of money paid out and money received
2
: a statement listing purchases and credits : bill
3
a
: value entry 1 sense 3
a man of little account
b
: regard entry 1 sense 2a
held in high account
4
: profit entry 1 sense 1, advantage
labored to no account
5
a
: a statement of reasons, causes, or motives
gave an account of her actions
b
: a statement of facts
accounts of the game
c
: a reason for an action
on that account I must refuse
6
a
: a sum of money deposited in a bank
b
: an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or email services of a particular company
account
2 of 2 verb1
: to think of as
accounts herself lucky
2
: to give an explanation
have to account for the money I spent
3
: to be the cause
illness accounts for so many absences
Etymology
Noun
Middle English acount, accompt "the act or result of counting," from early French acunte (same meaning), from acunter (verb) "to add, count," from a- "to" and cunter "to count," from Latin computare "to count, compute" — related to compute, count entry 1
Legal Definition
account
1 of 2 noun
ac·count
1
a
: 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 pl.
trustees filed annual accounts as required by statute—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
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
2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to give a financial account
a duty to account
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