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

To date, Lyme disease is still by far the most commonly diagnosed, accounting for more than 80 percent of tick-related diseases, with 476,000 patients in the U.S. receiving treatment annually.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

He hadn’t received any proceeds and his tax documents sent to him by Late Stage’s accounting firm in 2024 and 2025, viewed by the Journal, said he still held the position.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The debacle was a driving force in the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which tightened regulations over governance, accounting and related-party transactions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Tech stocks make up 40% of private credit, with software-as-a-service accounting for 25% of that.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

The final form is a client questionnaire that asks me to give a full accounting of my time in the United States.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Related Words

• bookkeeping
• computing