Showing results for "accounting"

• present participle of account.

accounting

American  

[uh-koun-ting] / əˈkaʊn tɪŋ /

noun

1. the theory and system of setting up, maintaining, and auditing the books of a firm; art of analyzing the financial position and operating results of a business house from a study of its sales, purchases, overhead, etc. (distinguished from bookkeeping).

2. a detailed report of the financial state or transactions of a person or entity.

   an accounting of the estate.

3. the rendering or submission of such a report.

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accounting British  

/ əˈkaʊntɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the skill or practice of maintaining and auditing accounts and preparing reports on the assets, liabilities, etc, of a business

   2. ( as modifier )

      an accounting period

      accounting entity

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accounting Cultural  

1. The system of recording and auditing business transactions. (See audit.)

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Etymology

Origin of accounting

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; account + -ing ¹

Explanation

Accounting is the act of computing something, usually by dealing with numbers. If you were very good at math in high school, you might think about going into accounting. You can see the word count within accounting, which is one way to remember that the word has to do with keeping track of numbers — usually in relation to financial transactions. Balancing your checkbook is a form of accounting. Large firms often hire accountants to keep track of their earnings and spending. Accounting can also more generally mean explaining. Someone who decides to wear shorts to the prom is likely going to have some serious accounting to do!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accounting

Ubisoft also expects a "high single-digit" percentage drop in its operating margin calculated according to non-IFRS accounting standards.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

The analysts said that the veterinarians they surveyed filled 11% of prescriptions through Chewy, with companies like PetMed and Vetsource accounting for a smaller share.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

Clubs, meanwhile, are incentivised to sell academy-developed players because the fees can be recorded as pure profit for accounting purposes under Premier League and Uefa spending rules.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

It is accounting policy to depreciate infrastructure and recognize other operating costs related to scaling new clusters when it starts provisioning the equipment, incurring expenses before the assets are handed over to a customer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The next morning, I enrolled in the summer session for accounting.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Related Words

• bookkeeping
• computing