audit

American  

[aw-dit] / ˈɔ dɪt /

noun

• audits
  plural

1. an official examination and verification of accounts and records, especially of financial accounts.

2. a report or statement reflecting an audit; a final statement of account.

3. the inspection or examination of a building or other facility to evaluate or improve its appropriateness, safety, efficiency, or the like.

   An energy audit can suggest ways to reduce home fuel bills.

4. Archaic. a judicial hearing.

5. Obsolete. an audience.

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verb (used with object)

• audits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• audited,
  past participle,  past
• auditing
  present participle

1. to make an audit of; examine (accounts, records, etc.) for purposes of verification.

   The accountants audited the company's books at the end of the fiscal year.

2. to attend (classes, lectures, etc.) as an auditor.

3. to make an audit of (a building or other facility) to evaluate or improve its safety, efficiency, or the like.

verb (used without object)

• audits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• audited,
  past participle,  past
• auditing
  present participle

1. to examine and verify an account or accounts by reference to vouchers.

audit British  

/ ˈɔːdɪt /

noun

1. 1. an inspection, correction, and verification of business accounts, conducted by an independent qualified accountant

   2. ( as modifier )

      audit report

2. an audited account

3. any thoroughgoing check or examination

4. archaic a hearing

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verb

1. to inspect, correct, and certify (accounts, etc)

2. to attend (classes, etc) as an auditor

audit Cultural  

1. The examination by an outside party of the accounts of an individual or corporation.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reaudit
  noun
• auditable
  adjective
• unaudited
  adjective
• well-audited
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• audits
  plural

Participles

• auditing
  present
• audited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• audit
  simple
• audits
  simple
• have audited
  perfect
• has audited
  perfect
• am auditing
  progressive
• are auditing
  progressive
• is auditing
  progressive
• have been auditing
  perfect progressive
• has been auditing
  perfect progressive

Past

• audited
  simple
• had audited
  perfect
• was auditing
  progressive
• were auditing
  progressive
• had been auditing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will audit
  simple
• will have audited
  perfect
• will be auditing
  progressive
• will have been auditing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of audit

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English audite, from Latin audītus “the sense or act of hearing,” noun derivative of audīre “to hear”

Explanation

An audit is a thorough counting, review, or assessment of a situation or collection of things. Before baking cookies, you'd better make an audit of the ingredients available to see whether there is enough sugar and butter. The most common use of the word audit is with the Internal Revenue Service, which sometimes performs an audit of a taxpayer’s finances to see whether that taxpayer has accurately reported his or her income. It can also be used in this context as a verb. It's easy to get nervous if the IRS is planning to audit you! You can also audit a class if you attend but don't pay for it. Just don't think that you'll get credit towards graduation from that.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

audit audits audited auditing

The mayor has since moved toward expanding the camera network—switching some on during the World Cup and ordering an independent audit of the system’s data protections, due this month, before making a final policy decision.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

This month, it sent staff to audit Chinese manufacturers of actuator components and sensors, 21st Century Business Herald reported.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

The state auditor, a separate agency that reports to the state Legislature, launched its own audit about the timeliness of the report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

It made a series of recommendations to address those problems, including the appointment of an independent body to oversee costs and the construction schedule, and the ordering of an audit of the project.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

“Crew read newspapers throughout the flight,” the audit stated, “often with newspapers held up in such a way that if a warning light came on, it would not be noticed.”

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

After a string of negative audits and a scathing court-ordered review, it’s no secret that the Los Angeles homeless services system has flaws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

UN safety audits have shown particular risks to women and girls at night, causing them to avoid camp toilets and bathrooms.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Newsom signed bills last week aimed at creating a pathway for outside audits of the top AI companies, many of which are based in California, and a registry for AI auditors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

That bill requires crisis protocols for suicidal ideation, parental controls, and independent child-safety audits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

The Fowls had held on to Fowl Manor over the years, surviving war, civil unrest, and several tax audits.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Under the act, new or higher special taxes enacted after Jan. 1, 2026 would be audited every four years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Abbott has tried to ameliorate these concerns by requiring all new data centers to be audited by the state, a step that policy experts and Democrats have criticized as insufficient.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

"All service charge expenditure is audited by a firm of chartered certified accountants. A summary document detailing the residential expenditure is provided to each leaseholder by the managing agent."

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

They aren’t required to file audited financials or detailed income statements with the SEC and don’t need SEC approval before they can raise money.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

During one seven-year period the lawyer’s tax returns had been audited, challenged, and taken to court annually.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

That’s asking a lot, however, since my auditing firm’s tracking of market-timing newsletters finds that successful market timing is no easier with bonds than it is with stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Osman, who is from Leicester in the UK, has lived in Malawi for several years and works for an auditing firm.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

In emails, Marc Treitler, Conservice’s general counsel and president of sustainability, said the company helps all parties save on utilities by auditing the bills it receives directly from providers before passing charges on to renters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

“States now have a negotiated menu of age assurance, time limits, nighttime restrictions, parental controls, auditing, and monetary relief that they can put on the table,” Engstrom told me.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

“You’re auditing something? I thought about doing that at NYU. How is it?”

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Related Words

• analysis
• check
• examination
• investigation
• review
• scrutiny
• survey
• verification