accounting

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of accounting
1
: the system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and reporting the results
also : the principles and procedures of this system
studied accounting as a freshman
2
a
: work done in accounting or by accountants
b
: an instance of applied accounting or of the settling or presenting of accounts
3
: account sense 2
They were required to provide a detailed accounting of their actions.

accounting

2 of 2

present participle of account entry 2

Examples of accounting in a Sentence

Noun what accounting can you give for your bizarre actions on the night in question?
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Kantenga pointed to finance, accounting and other professional-services firms that recruit in September and October for workers who may not actually start until the following summer. Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026 Nobody boards the bus expecting to become an accounting entry. Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Olivares, who was treated with CAR T-cell therapy, is now an accounting student at Broward College. Lauren Pastrana, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026 That is a second job by any honest accounting, layered on a first one, during the years the first one is supposed to compound. Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accounting

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English acountynge "reckoning, calculation," from gerund of accounten "to account entry 2"

First Known Use

Noun

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of accounting was in 1703

Cite this Entry

“Accounting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accounting. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

accounting

noun
1
: the system or practice of recording the amounts of money made and spent by a person or business
2
: a statement explaining one's conduct : account sense 5a

Legal Definition

accounting

noun
ac·​count·​ing
1
: an often court-ordered presentment or examination of accounts
a complete accounting would be necessary to determine the nature of the expendituresCase & Comment
2
: the settlement by judicial action of the assets of a partnership (as upon dissolution)

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