accounting

USuh-KOWN-ting/əˈkaʊn.tɪŋ/

4 meanings of accounting

1
noununcountable
The work of keeping records of money coming in and going out for a person or business.
Like keeping a notebook where you write down all the money you get and spend.
She studied accounting in college before joining the bank.
Good accounting helps a company know if it is making money.
Similarbookkeeping, accountancy
Note
2
noununcountable
The act of explaining what happened or why you did something.
Like telling your parents exactly what happened after you broke something.
His accounting of the accident left out a few key details.
We need a clear accounting of how the money was spent.
Similarexplanation, report, justification
Note
3
verb
Present participle of account. Use this form when the action is happening now.
She is accounting for every dollar spent on the trip.
The committee kept accounting for the missing funds throughout the audit.
Note
4
noununcountable
A court order that makes someone hand over money they got in the wrong way.
Like making a cheater give back all the money they won unfairly.
The judge ordered an accounting of all the profits from the scheme.
They asked the court for an accounting to recover the stolen earnings.
Note

accounting is a form of account

account, verb: To give a good reason that explains why something happened. Full entry

Forms: accountaccounts he/she/itaccounting -ing formaccounted past tense, past participle
Spelling: account → accounting: add -ing

Practice

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Origin

It comes from the word "account" plus the ending "-ing." It was first used in the late 1300s.