Adjacent Words

Account definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ACCOUNT', n.
1. A sum stated on paper; a registry of a debt or credit; of debts and credits, or charges; an entry in a book or on paper of things bought or sold, of payments, services etc., including the names of the parties to the transaction, date, and price or value of the thing.
Account signifies a single entry or charge, or a statement of a number of particular debts and credits, in a book or on a separate paper; and in the plural, is used for the books containing such entries.
2. A computation of debts and credits, or a general statement of particular sums; as, the account stands thus; let him exhibit his account.
3. A computation or mode of reckoning; applied to other things, than money or trade; as the Julian account of time.
4. Narrative; relation; statement of facts; recital of particular transactions and events, verbal or written; as an account of the revolution in France. Hence,
5. An assignment of reasons; explanation by a recital of particular transactions, given by a person in an employment, or to a superior, often implying responsibility.
Give an account of thy stewardship. Luke 16.
Without responsibility or obligation.
He giveth not account of his matters. Job 33.
6. Reason or consideration, as a motive; as on all accounts, on every account.
7. Value; importance; estimation; that is, such a state of persons or things, as renders them worthy of more or less estimation; as men of account of him. Psalms 144.
8. Profit; advantage; that is, a result or production worthy of estimation. To find our account in a pursuit; to turn to account.
9. Regard; behalf; sake; a sense deduced from charges on book; as on account of public affairs.
Put that to mine account. Phile 18.
To make account, that is, to have a pervious opinion or expectation, is a sense now obsolete.
A writ of account, in law, is a writ which the plaintiff brings demanding that the defendant should render his just account, or show good cause to the contrary; call also an action of account.
ACCOUNT', v.t.
1. To deem, judge, consider, think, or hold in opinion.
I and my son Solomon shall be accounted offenders.
1 Kings 1.
2. To account of, to hold in esteem; to value.
Let a man so account of us as of ministers of Christ.
1 Corinthians 4.
3. To reckon, or compute; as, the motion of the sun whereby years are accounted - also to assign as a debt; as, a project accounted to his service; but these uses are antiquated.
ACCOUNT', v.i.
1. To render an account or relation of particulars. An officer must account with or to the Treasurer for money received.
2. To give reasons; to assign the causes; to explain; with for; as, idleness accounts for poverty.
3. To render reasons; to answer for in a responsible character.
We must account for all the talents entrusted to us.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a record or narrative description of past events; "a history of France"; "he gave an inaccurate account of the plot to kill the president"; "the story of exposure to lead" [syn: history, account, chronicle, story]
2: a short account of the news; "the report of his speech"; "the story was on the 11 o'clock news"; "the account of his speech that was given on the evening news made the governor furious" [syn: report, news report, story, account, write up]
3: a formal contractual relationship established to provide for regular banking or brokerage or business services; "he asked to see the executive who handled his account" [syn: account, business relationship]
4: a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.; "the explanation was very simple"; "I expected a brief account" [syn: explanation, account]
5: grounds; "don't do it on my account"; "the paper was rejected on account of its length"; "he tried to blame the victim but his success on that score was doubtful" [syn: score, account]
6: importance or value; "a person of considerable account"; "he predicted that although it is of small account now it will rapidly increase in importance"
7: a statement of recent transactions and the resulting balance; "they send me an accounting every month" [syn: account, accounting, account statement]
8: the act of informing by verbal report; "he heard reports that they were causing trouble"; "by all accounts they were a happy couple" [syn: report, account]
9: an itemized statement of money owed for goods shipped or services rendered; "he paid his bill and left"; "send me an account of what I owe" [syn: bill, account, invoice]
10: the quality of taking advantage; "she turned her writing skills to good account" v
1: be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, or disposal of something; "Passing grades account for half of the grades given in this exam"
2: keep an account of [syn: account, calculate]
3: to give an account or representation of in words; "Discreet Italian police described it in a manner typically continental" [syn: report, describe, account]
4: furnish a justifying analysis or explanation; "I can't account for the missing money" [syn: account, answer for]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English acounte, accompte, from Anglo-French acunte, from acunter Date: 14th century 1. archaic reckoning, computation 2. a. a record of debit and credit entries to cover transactions involving a particular item or a particular person or concern b. a statement of transactions during a fiscal period and the resulting balance 3. a. a statement explaining one's conduct b. a statement or exposition of reasons, causes, or motives <no satisfactory account of these phenomena> c. a reason for an action ; basis <on that account I must refuse> 4. a. a formal business arrangement providing for regular dealings or services (as banking, advertising, or store credit) and involving the establishment and maintenance of an account; also client, customer b. money deposited in a bank account and subject to withdrawal by the depositor 5. a. value, importance <it's of no account to me> b. esteem <stood high in their account> 6. advantage <turned her wit to good account> 7. a. careful thought ; consideration <have to take many things into account> b. a usually mental record ; track <keep account of all you do> 8. a description of facts, conditions, or events ; report, narrative <the newspaper account of the fire> <by all accounts they're well-off>; also performance <a straightforward account of the sonata> II. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French acunter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + cunter to count Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to think of as ; consider <accounts himself lucky> 2. to probe into ; analyze intransitive verb 1. to furnish a justifying analysis or explanation — used with for <couldn't account for the loss> 2. a. to be the sole or primary factor — used with for <the pitcher accounted for all three putouts> b. to bring about the capture, death, or destruction of something — used with for <accounted for two rabbits>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a narration or description (gave a long account of the ordeal). 2 a an arrangement or facility at a bank or building society etc. for commercial or financial transactions, esp. for depositing and withdrawing money (opened an account). b the assets credited by such an arrangement (has a large account; paid the money into her account). c an arrangement at a shop for buying goods on credit (has an account at the newsagent's). 3 a (often in pl.) a record or statement of money, goods, or services received or expended, with the balance (firms must keep detailed accounts). b (in pl.) the practice of accounting or reckoning (is good at accounts). 4 a statement of the administration of money in trust (demand an account). 5 the period during which transactions take place on a stock exchange; the period from one account day to the next. 6 counting, reckoning. --v.tr. (foll. by to be or compl.) consider, regard as (account it a misfortune; account him wise; account him to be guilty). Phrases and idioms: account day a day of periodic settlement of stock exchange accounts. account for 1 serve as or provide an explanation or reason for (that accounts for their misbehaviour). 2 a give a reckoning of or answer for (money etc. entrusted). b answer for (one's conduct). 3 succeed in killing, destroying, disposing of, or defeating. 4 supply or make up a specified amount or proportion of (rent accounts for 50% of expenditure). account rendered a bill which has been sent but is not yet paid. by all accounts in everyone's opinion. call to account require an explanation from (a person). give a good (or bad) account of oneself make a favourable (or unfavourable) impression; be successful (or unsuccessful). keep account of keep a record of; follow closely. leave out of account fail or decline to consider. money of account denominations of money used in reckoning, but not current as coins. of no account unimportant. of some account important. on account 1 (of goods) to be paid for later. 2 (of money) in part payment. on account of because of. on no account under no circumstances; certainly not. on one's own account for one's own purposes; at one's own risk. settle (or square) accounts with 1 receive or pay money etc. owed to. 2 have revenge on. take account of (or take into account) consider along with other factors (took their age into account). turn to account (or good account) turn to one's advantage. Etymology: ME f. OF acont, aconter (as AC-, conter COUNT(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Account Ac*count", n. [OE. acount, account, accompt, OF. acont, fr. aconter. See Account, v. t., Count, n., 1.] 1. A reckoning; computation; calculation; enumeration; a record of some reckoning; as, the Julian account of time. A beggarly account of empty boxes. --Shak. 2. A registry of pecuniary transactions; a written or printed statement of business dealings or debts and credits, and also of other things subjected to a reckoning or review; as, to keep one's account at the bank. 3. A statement in general of reasons, causes, grounds, etc., explanatory of some event; as, no satisfactory account has been given of these phenomena. Hence, the word is often used simply for reason, ground, consideration, motive, etc.; as, on no account, on every account, on all accounts. 4. A statement of facts or occurrences; recital of transactions; a relation or narrative; a report; a description; as, an account of a battle. ``A laudable account of the city of London.'' --Howell. 5. A statement and explanation or vindication of one's conduct with reference to judgment thereon. Give an account of thy stewardship. --Luke xvi. 2. 6. An estimate or estimation; valuation; judgment. ``To stand high in your account.'' --Shak. 7. Importance; worth; value; advantage; profit. ``Men of account.'' --Pope. ``To turn to account.'' --Shak. Account current, a running or continued account between two or more parties, or a statement of the particulars of such an account. In account with, in a relation requiring an account to be kept. On account of, for the sake of; by reason of; because of. On one's own account, for one's own interest or behalf. To make account, to have an opinion or expectation; to reckon. [Obs.] This other part . . . makes account to find no slender arguments for this assertion out of those very scriptures which are commonly urged against it. --Milton. To make account of, to hold in estimation; to esteem; as, he makes small account of beauty. To take account of, or to take into account, to take into consideration; to notice. ``Of their doings, God takes no account.'' --Milton . A writ of account (Law), a writ which the plaintiff brings demanding that the defendant shall render his just account, or show good cause to the contrary; -- called also an action of account. --Cowell. Syn: Narrative; narration; relation; recital; description; explanation; rehearsal. Usage: Account, Narrative, Narration, Recital. These words are applied to different modes of rehearsing a series of events. Account turns attention not so much to the speaker as to the fact related, and more properly applies to the report of some single event, or a group of incidents taken as whole; as, an account of a battle, of a shipwreck, etc. A narrative is a continuous story of connected incidents, such as one friend might tell to another; as, a narrative of the events of a siege, a narrative of one's life, etc. Narration is usually the same as narrative, but is sometimes used to describe the mode of relating events; as, his powers of narration are uncommonly great. Recital denotes a series of events drawn out into minute particulars, usually expressing something which peculiarly interests the feelings of the speaker; as, the recital of one's wrongs, disappointments, sufferings, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Account Ac*count", v. i. 1. To render or receive an account or relation of particulars; as, an officer must account with or to the treasurer for money received. 2. To render an account; to answer in judgment; -- with for; as, we must account for the use of our opportunities. 3. To give a satisfactory reason; to tell the cause of; to explain; -- with for; as, idleness accounts for poverty. To account of, to esteem; to prize; to value. Now used only in the passive. ``I account of her beauty.'' --Shak. Newer was preaching more accounted of than in the sixteenth century. --Canon Robinson.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Account Ac*count", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accounted; p. pr. & vb. n. Accounting.] [OE. acounten, accompten, OF. aconter, [`a] (L. ad) + conter to count. F. conter to tell, compter to count, L. computare. See Count, v. t.] 1. To reckon; to compute; to count. [Obs.] The motion of . . . the sun whereby years are accounted. --Sir T. Browne. 2. To place to one's account; to put to the credit of; to assign; -- with to. [R.] --Clarendon. 3. To value, estimate, or hold in opinion; to judge or consider; to deem. Accounting that God was able to raise him up. --Heb. xi. 19. 4. To recount; to relate. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(accounts, accounting, accounted) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you have an account with a bank or a similar organization, you have an arrangement to leave your money there and take some out when you need it. Some banks make it difficult to open an account... I had two accounts with Natwest, a savings account and a current account. N-COUNT 2. In business, a regular customer of a company can be referred to as an account, especially when the customer is another company. (BUSINESS) Biggart Donald, the Glasgow-based marketing agency, has won two Edinburgh accounts. N-COUNT 3. Accounts are detailed records of all the money that a person or business receives and spends. (BUSINESS) He kept detailed accounts. ...an account book. N-COUNT: usu pl 4. An account is a written or spoken report of something that has happened. He gave a detailed account of what happened on the fateful night... = report N-COUNT: with supp, usu N of n 5. see also accounting, bank account, current account, deposit account, joint 6. If you say that something is true by all accounts or from all accounts, you believe it is true because other people say so. He is, by all accounts, a superb teacher. PHRASE: PHR with cl 7. If you say that someone gave a good account of themselves in a particular situation, you mean that they performed well, although they may not have been completely successful. The team fought hard and gave a good account of themselves. PHRASE: V inflects 8. If you say that something is of no account or of little account, you mean that it is very unimportant and is not worth considering. (FORMAL) These obscure groups were of little account in national politics. PHRASE: v-link PHR 9. If you buy or pay for something on account, you pay nothing or only part of the cost at first, and pay the rest later. He bought two bottles of vodka on account. PHRASE: PHR after v 10. You use on account of to introduce the reason or explanation for something. The President declined to deliver the speech himself, on account of a sore throat... PREP-PHRASE 11. Your feelings on someone's account are the feelings you have about what they have experienced or might experience, especially when you imagine yourself to be in their situation. Mollie told me what she'd done and I was really scared on her account. PHRASE: usu adj/n PHR 12. If you tell someone not to do something on your account, you mean that they should do it only if they want to, and not because they think it will please you. (SPOKEN) Don't leave on my account. PHRASE: PHR after v 13. If you say that something should on no account be done, you are emphasizing that it should not be done under any circumstances. On no account should the mixture boil. PHRASE [emphasis] 14. If you do something on your own account, you do it because you want to and without being asked, and you take responsibility for your own action. I told him if he withdrew it was on his own account. PHRASE: PHR after v 15. If you take something into account, or take account of something, you consider it when you are thinking about a situation or deciding what to do. The defendant asked for 21 similar offences to be taken into account... Urban planners in practice have to take account of many interest groups in society. = consider PHRASE: V inflects 16. If someone is called, held, or brought to account for something they have done wrong, they are made to explain why they did it, and are often criticized or punished for it. Ministers should be called to account for their actions. PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR for n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-kount'. See ACCOUNTABILITY.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Record, register, inventory, score. 2. Bill, charge, registry of debt and credit. 3. Reckoning, computation, calculation, enumeration, tale, count. 4. Description, statement, narration, recital, rehearsal, relation, narrative, chronicle, history, delineation, representation, portrayal, detail, word, tidings, report. 5. Explanation, exposition, clearing up, elucidation, exhibition of causes, reference to grounds, exploration into principles, philosophy. 6. Consideration, regard, motive, reason, ground, sake. 7. Consequence, importance, worth, distinction, dignity, repute, reputation, note. 8. Profit, advantage. See benefit. II. v. a. Esteem, regard, deem, judge, believe, take for, think, hold, consider, view, reckon, rate, estimate, look upon. III. v. n. [With with or to before persons, and for before things.] 1. Render an account, answer in judgment, answer responsibly. 2. Explain, elucidate, expound, trace to causes, give the philosophy of, clear up, exhibit the grounds, give a reason, show the reason, render a reason, assign the cause, make explanation of.

Moby Thesaurus

a reckoning of, account current, account for, account of, account rendered, account stated, accounting, accounts, acquaintance, acta, adjudge, adjudicate, advantage, aggregate, allow, allow for, allowance, amount, anecdotage, anecdote, annals, announcement, annual, answer for, approbation, approval, assessment, balance, bank account, bank balance, be judicious, benefit, bill, bill of account, bill of fare, bill of lading, blackmail, blood money, blue book, body count, books, box score, brief, briefing, bulletin, calculation, capitulation, carte, cash account, cast, catalog, census, census report, charge account, check, check of, checking account, chronicle, communication, communique, computation, consequence, consider, consideration, control account, conversion factor, correspondence, count, count of, credit, credit account, data, datum, deem, description, difference, directory, dispatch, documentation, dun, election returns, emolument, enlightenment, enumeration, epic, epos, esteem, estimation, evidence, exercise judgment, expense account, explain, explanation, express an opinion, face, face value, facts, factual information, familiarization, favor, fee, footing, form an opinion, gen, general information, guidebook, handout, hard information, head count, history, hold, honor, hush money, importance, incidental information, income account, info, information, initiation fee, instruction, intelligence, interest, inventory, invoice, itemized bill, judge, justify, knowledge, ledger, letters, light, list, manifest, market value, memorial, mention, menu, merit, message, mileage, minutes, narration, narrative, net worth, nose count, note, notice, notification, number, par value, pennyworth, pine, pipe roll, presentation, presume, proceedings, product, profit, promotional material, proof, provision account, publication, publicity, quantity, rate, recapitulation, recital, reckoning, record, recording, recount, recounting, regard, register, registry, rehearsal, relation, release, relic, remains, repertory, report, respect, retainer, retaining fee, returns, revenue account, roll, rolls, roster, rota, running account, saga, sake, sales account, savings account, score, scot, scroll, selling account, sidelight, significance, standing, statement, stipend, stock account, story, sum, summary, summation, summing, summing up, suppose, suspense account, tab, table, tabs of, take into consideration, take note of, tale, tally, tally of, the bottom line, the dope, the goods, the know, the record, the scoop, the story, the whole story, think of, token, total, trace, track of, transactions, transmission, tribute, use, valuation account, value, value received, vestige, white book, white paper, whole, word, worth, x number, yarn, yearbook