audit trail

American  

noun

1. Accounting.  the process or an instance of cross-referring each bookkeeping entry to its source in order to facilitate checking its accuracy.

2. Computers.  a track of a particular item of output data back through the processing steps that produced it to the corresponding input data.

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audit trail British  

noun

1. a record of all the transactions or data entries that a person or firm has carried out over a specific period

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Etymology

Origin of audit trail

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

“Alameda is unauditable,” he is said to have remarked to his colleagues about FTX affiliate Alameda Research, not in the sense that no reputable firm would want to take on this three-ring goat-rodeo, but in the sense of lacking the basic components of an audit trail, such as a record of transactions, or even an accurate estimate of current balances.

From Washington Post

A Royal Navy investigation in 2020 concluded that had "a clear audit trail of past issues with endurance events been visible, follow-on action may have been taken".

From BBC

But the probe criticises "gaps in the audit trail", with Labour accusing the government of acting "fast and loose".

From BBC

But the probe criticised "gaps in the audit trail", with Labour accusing the Government of acting "fast and loose".

From BBC

The prevalence of online wagering has created an “audit trail,” Cunningham said, which makes it easier to track possible breaches and to revisit cases that only appear suspicious after the fact.

From Washington Post