current account
Americannoun
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Also called open account. an account of credits, debits, receipts, and expenditures between two individuals or companies, usually providing for settlement at the end of specified accounting periods.
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(in certain foreign countries) a checking account.
noun
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Canadian name: chequing account. US name: checking account. an account at a bank or building society against which cheques may be drawn at any time
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economics that part of the balance of payments composed of the balance of trade and the invisible balance Compare capital account
Etymology
Origin of current account
First recorded in 1840–50
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rupee's slide comes as India faces a widening current account deficit driven by costly energy imports.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
A weaker rupee makes imports costlier and exports more competitive, helping narrow the current account deficit over time.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Analysts at French investment banking firm Natixis Research published a report Thursday which warned that declining current account surpluses will weaken Asian currencies, raising inflation expectations and lead to tighter financial conditions.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
She added that the country's current account gap is "too big."
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
When Mom finally kicked him out, Dad went to a new bank to open his own current account.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
