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. (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

Example Sentences

The company also said it was reviewing its accounting practices after receiving voluntary document requests from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

From Barron's

The United States is the biggest importing country for French wines and spirits, accounting for 21 percent of the overall export market last year.

From Barron's

Apollo had about $938 billion of assets under management as of 2025, with the region accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total.

From The Wall Street Journal

Comparable earnings are expected to grow about 3% after accounting for currency headwinds.

From Barron's

Shares could lose more than half their value Monday following the disclosure of an accounting investigation and a big reset of the company’s financial guidance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bookkeeping
• computing