accounting

[ uh-koun-ting ]

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. ( 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.

accounting

/ 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

accounting

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of accounting¹

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

Example Sentences

Instead, The Post has tried to create an accounting of these payments, one receipt at a time, using public-records requests and lawsuits.

From Washington Post

Another layer of complexity is added by recent adoption of the “current expected credit losses” accounting standard, under which banks must estimate losses for the whole life of a loan.

From Ozy

Yet the state’s justice courts are excluded from this requirement, making a complete accounting of debt lawsuits impossible unless the state’s 803 justice courts choose to make their records public.

From ProPublica

A full accounting, implying a perfect prediction, would demand an infinite number of diagrams.

From Quanta Magazine

That means people who specialize in civil rights law, auditing and accounting, and encryption security.

From Voice of San Diego

He had studied accounting in college, but he had become a cop for the same reason as Ramos.

From The Daily Beast

Hopefully there will be a transparent accounting of what was introduced.

From The Daily Beast

The answers include poor planning, budgetary procedures that defied economic logic, and at least one bone-headed accounting error.

From The Daily Beast

But a full accounting of the activities of politicians before Maidan is not in the cards for now, says Rondin.

From The Daily Beast

“The substance of the report is the most comprehensive accounting of what happened,” said Gude.

From The Daily Beast

Such accounting would have to appear on her record of cash telegrams accepted.

From Project Gutenberg

So popular and so ungovernable was the habit, that there is hardly any rational means to be found for accounting for it.

From Project Gutenberg

They paid each other's bills without any accounting and there was never any friction, until now.

From Project Gutenberg

In my interview you'd better lay great stress on the imperative need for a uniform accounting law for county officials.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no accounting for the freaks of these military Americanos, so I went to my bed.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bookkeeping
• computing