account
1 of 2noun
ac·count ə-ˈkau̇nt 
1
a
: a record of debit (see debit entry 2 sense 1a) and credit (see credit entry 1 sense 2d) 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
c
archaic : reckoning, computation
2
a
: a statement explaining one's conduct
She was asked to give an account of her actions.
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.
3
a(1)
: a formal business arrangement providing for regular dealings or services (such as banking, advertising, or store credit) and involving the establishment and maintenance of an account
a checking account
also : client, customer
They are one of our most important accounts.
(2)
: money deposited in a bank account and subject to withdrawal by the depositor
b
: an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or email services of a particular company
4
a
: value, importance
It's of no account to me.
b
: esteem
stood high in their account
5
: advantage
turned her wit to good account
6
a
: careful thought : consideration
factoring all of these issues into account
see also take account of b
: a usually mental record : track
Keep account of all you do.
7
: 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
account
2 of 2verb
accounted; accounting; accounts
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 left fielder accounted for all three putouts.
b
: to bring about the capture, death, or destruction of something —used with for
Enemy fighters accounted for two of the bombers.
transitive verb
1
: to think of as : consider
accounts himself lucky
2
: to probe into : analyze
Phrases
give a good account of oneself : to perform well especially in a competition or confrontation : to acquit oneself well
Though he has an aristocratic bearing, he could probably give a good account of himself in a street fight.
Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Reed : with the price charged to one's account
purchasing on account
: for the sake of : because of
The game was cancelled on account of rain.
: under no circumstances
On no account should the children be left alone at home.
1
: on one's own behalf
I'm doing it on my own account, not for anyone else.
2
: at one's own risk
3
: by oneself : on one's own
Synonyms
Noun
- chronicle
- chronology
- commentary
- commentaries
- history
- narration
- narrative
- record
- report
- story
Verb
- call
- consider
- count
- esteem
- hold
- look (on or upon)
- rate
- reckon
- regard
- set down
- view
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun the difference between the debit and credit sides of an account We always keep very good accounts. We opened new accounts at a bank last week. I took out my money and closed my account. You can withdraw up to $1,000 a day from your account. Every week, she puts a part of her paycheck into a separate account. setting up a bank account Verb account themselves lucky to be alive See More
Recent Examples on the Web Steve Coll, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2022 Open a new account at Caesars Sportsbook with the promo code MYBETFULL to access up to $1,250 in bonuses to bet on the game. Catena Media, oregonlive, 12 Sep. 2022 That's because, to become a validator on ethereum, someone must invest at least 32 ether — roughly $52,000 — and agree to keep those tokens stashed away in a separate account. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2022 The sign-up process for a DraftKings Sportsbook account is really simple. cleveland, 11 Sep. 2022 Natalya, who said her husband was detained just over a month ago, refuses to open a Russian bank account, though her Ukrainian bank was forced to close months ago. Ian Lovett, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2022 Sorry, this is now a Thanksgiving food fan account. Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, 11 Sep. 2022 Here’s how to get the bonus: Click here to register a new account at Caesars Sportsbook. Use the Caesars bonus code GETFULL to qualify for the bonus. Catena Media, al, 10 Sep. 2022 That would require the sponsor to deposit nearly $3 million into a trust account. Matt Egan, CNN, 8 Sep. 2022 Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 While Apple’s services account for 19% of total revenue, their profit margins are double that of hardware products. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 Nor, the official said, is there any indication that FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has been held to account for his agency’s failures. Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022 Nor, the official said, is there any indication that FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has been held to account for his agency’s failures. Greg Miller And Catherine Belton, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Aug. 2022 For those seeking justice, the events of 6:07 pm on August 4, 2020 must continue to reverberate until the people responsible are held to account. Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 3 Aug. 2022 Many congressional Democrats, including Warren, agree that colleges must be held to account for the exorbitant cost of higher education that has resulted in more than a trillion dollars in student debt. Arkansas Online, 1 Aug. 2022 Police should be held to account for their life-or-death decision-making. WSJ, 22 July 2022 The ban was celebrated by those who said the company should be held to account for luring teenagers to use its product with appealing mango and crème brûlée flavors and ads depicting young people. Christina Jewett, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2022 See More
Noun
The Afghan Fund may turn out to be just a Swiss bank account for funds that will remain blocked for years. Steve Coll, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2022 Open a new account at Caesars Sportsbook with the promo code MYBETFULL to access up to $1,250 in bonuses to bet on the game. Catena Media, oregonlive, 12 Sep. 2022 That's because, to become a validator on ethereum, someone must invest at least 32 ether — roughly $52,000 — and agree to keep those tokens stashed away in a separate account. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2022 The sign-up process for a DraftKings Sportsbook account is really simple. cleveland, 11 Sep. 2022 Natalya, who said her husband was detained just over a month ago, refuses to open a Russian bank account, though her Ukrainian bank was forced to close months ago. Ian Lovett, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2022 Sorry, this is now a Thanksgiving food fan account. Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, 11 Sep. 2022 Here’s how to get the bonus: Click here to register a new account at Caesars Sportsbook. Use the Caesars bonus code GETFULL to qualify for the bonus. Catena Media, al, 10 Sep. 2022 That would require the sponsor to deposit nearly $3 million into a trust account. Matt Egan, CNN, 8 Sep. 2022 Verb
While Black people account for about a third of monkeypox cases in the U.S., about 10% of vaccines have been administered to the group, according to the CDC. Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 While Apple’s services account for 19% of total revenue, their profit margins are double that of hardware products. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 Nor, the official said, is there any indication that FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has been held to account for his agency’s failures. Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022 Nor, the official said, is there any indication that FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has been held to account for his agency’s failures. Greg Miller And Catherine Belton, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Aug. 2022 For those seeking justice, the events of 6:07 pm on August 4, 2020 must continue to reverberate until the people responsible are held to account. Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 3 Aug. 2022 Many congressional Democrats, including Warren, agree that colleges must be held to account for the exorbitant cost of higher education that has resulted in more than a trillion dollars in student debt. Arkansas Online, 1 Aug. 2022 Police should be held to account for their life-or-death decision-making. WSJ, 22 July 2022 The ban was celebrated by those who said the company should be held to account for luring teenagers to use its product with appealing mango and crème brûlée flavors and ads depicting young people. Christina Jewett, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English acounte, accompt, borrowed from Anglo-French acunte, acounte, noun derivative of acunter "to account entry 2"
Verb
Middle English accounten, acounten, accompten "to count, compute, evaluate, give an account of," borrowed from Anglo-French acunter, acompter, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + cunter, compter "to count entry 1"
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Phrases Containing account
Kids Definition
account 1 of 2
noun
ac·count
ə-ˈkau̇nt
1
: a record of money received and money paid out
2
: an arrangement with a bank to hold money and keep records of transactions
3
: an arrangement for regular dealings with a business
4
: an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or email services of a particular company
5
: a statement of explanation or of reasons or causes
You'll be asked to give an account of your actions.
6
: a statement of facts or events : report
Give me an account of the game.
7
: worth entry 2 sense 1, importance
It's of no account to them what I think.
account
2 of 2verb
accounted; accounting
: to think of as
He accounted himself lucky.
Legal Definition
account 1 of 2
noun
ac·count
1
a
: a record of debit and credit entries to cover transactions involving a particular item (as cash or notes receivable) or a particular person or concern
b
: a statement of transactions during a fiscal period showing the resulting balance —sometimes used in the pl.
trustees filed annual accounts as required by statute W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.2
: a periodically rendered reckoning (as one listing charged purchases and credits)
3
: a sum of money or its equivalent deposited in the common cash of a bank and subject to withdrawal at the option of the depositor
4
: a right under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code to payment for goods or services which is not contained in an instrument or chattel paper and that may or may not have been earned by performance
account
2 of 2intransitive verb
: to give a financial account
a duty to account
account 1 of 2
noun
1
as in chronology
a relating of events usually in the order in which they happened newspaper reporters must strive to provide an accurate account of what happened Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- chronology
- history
- record
- story
- chronicle
- version
- report
- narrative
- diary
- narration
- memoir
- commentary
- commentaries
- tale
- log
- documentation
- testimony
- witness
- saga
- deposition
- anecdote
- blog
- journal
- annals
- testament
- logbook
- testimonial
- minutes
- epic
- recitation
- yarn
- romance
- recital
- case history
- procès-verbal
- case study
- gest
- geste
2
as in version
a presentation of an artistic work (as a piece of music) from a particular point of view the pianist gave an account of the sonata that revealed a very mature understanding of the work Synonyms & Similar Words
- version
- interpretation
- rendition
- adaptation
- performance
- reading
- variation
- reworking
3
as in statement
a record of goods sold or services performed together with the costs due please add this meal to my restaurant account Synonyms & Similar Words
- statement
- bill
- document
- rate
- receipt
- invoice
- check
- record
- tab
- charge
- fee
- price
- reckoning
- expense
- cost
- toll
- ledger
- score
- tally
4
as in deposit
a sum of money set aside for a particular purpose after paying the tuition, there was still money left for books in her special account for college expenses Synonyms & Similar Words
- deposit
- fund
- budget
- savings
- nest egg
- collection
- kitty
- pool
- savings account
- assets
- reserve
- bankroll
- chest
- pin money
- petty cash
- coffer(s)
- pocket money
- cushion
- treasure
- cache
- pocketbook
- spending money
- hoard
5
as in use
the capacity for being useful for some purpose all the planning came to no account when the event was abruptly cancelled Synonyms & Similar Words
- use
- avail
- usefulness
- utility
- service
- mileage
- benefit
- advantage
- assistance
- help
- serviceableness
- value
- serviceability
- gain
- relevance
- aid
- profit
- applicability
- fitness
- appropriateness
- worth
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- worthlessness
- inapplicability
- uselessness
- inappropriateness
6
as in value
the relative usefulness or importance of something as judged by specific qualities the position of publicity agent for a star is of considerable account in Hollywood Synonyms & Similar Words
- value
- importance
- merit
- valuation
- worth
- significance
- assessment
- evaluation
- estimation
- consequence
- weight
- greatness
- excellence
- perfection
- desirability
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- deficiency
- inferiority
- emptiness
- worthlessness
- meanness
- pettiness
- inadequacy
- insufficiency
- cheapness
- baseness
- lousiness
- poorness
- valuelessness
- paltriness
- crumminess
- unacceptability
- inadequateness
7
as in consideration
a careful weighing of the reasons for or against something take into account the potential problems that come with keeping a horse Synonyms & Similar Words
- consideration
- deliberation
- study
- thought
- advisement
- debate
- reflection
- meditation
- contemplation
- pondering
- rumination
- introspection
- cogitation
- hesitation
- indecision
- agonizing
- premeditation
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- short shrift
8
as in appreciation
a feeling of great approval and liking held her grandmother, a pioneer in aviation, in high account Synonyms & Similar Words
- appreciation
- admiration
- respect
- regard
- estimation
- praise
- adoration
- esteem
- interest
- use
- reverence
- favor
- enjoyment
- preference
- taste
- enthusiasm
- affection
- like
- deference
- approbation
- homage
- love
- honor
- worship
- appetite
- infatuation
- relish
- partiality
- hero worship
- fondness
- wonderment
- attachment
- acclamation
- props
- adulation
- wonder
- idolatry
- prejudice
- veneration
- fancy
- awe
- devotion
- delight
- amazement
- bias
- shine
- lionization
- passion
- passion
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- condemnation
- disregard
- scorn
- indignation
- disdain
- disapproval
- discontent
- contempt
- unhappiness
- disenchantment
- disappointment
- disillusionment
- hatred
- disgust
- distaste
- displeasure
- aversion
- dislike
- disfavor
- hate
- revulsion
- repugnance
- repulsion
- opprobrium
- dissatisfaction
- disinclination
- antipathy
- nausea
- loathing
- disgruntlement
- disliking
- abomination
- displeasure
- disfavor
- detestation
- deprecation
9
as in client
a person who buys a product or uses a service from a business the company sends out holiday cards to all its accounts Synonyms & Similar Words
- client
- customer
- guest
- patron
- user
- buyer
- consumer
- punter
- correspondent
- purchaser
- end user
- browser
- regular
- shopper
- window-shopper
- prospect
- vendee
- bargainer
- haggler
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- merchant
- seller
- broker
- vendor
- vender
- shopkeeper
- fence
- tradesman
- black marketeer
- black marketer
10
as in explanation
a statement given to explain a belief or act he could offer no credible account for why he had been absent from work for two hours Synonyms & Similar Words
- explanation
- accounting
- reason
- argument
- apology
- justification
- rationale
- case
- excuse
- defense
- vindication
- appeal
- alibi
- apologia
- plea
- rationalization
- pretext
- guise
- pretence
- pretense
11
as in grounds
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing for that account alone you should agree that the system needs overhauling Synonyms & Similar Words
- grounds
- reason
- motive
- subject
- why
- cause
- consideration
- authority
- incentive
- antecedent
- impetus
- stimulus
- wherefore
- inspiration
- occasion
- instigation
12
as in import
the quality or state of being important where we go for dinner is of no account to me Synonyms & Similar Words
- import
- importance
- significance
- consequence
- magnitude
- gravity
- moment
- value
- weight
- report
- power
- momentousness
- store
- name
- weightiness
- status
- substance
- prominence
- control
- celebrity
- worth
- preeminence
- eminence
- position
- note
- reputation
- fame
- potency
- notoriety
- seriousness
- authority
- mastery
- distinction
- dominion
- substantiveness
- worthiness
- renown
- standing
- rank
- noteworthiness
- centrality
- repute
- sway
- prestige
- stature
- glory
- honor
- cachet
- greatness
- mark
- essentiality
- essentialness
- illustriousness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- smallness
- insignificance
- discredit
- triviality
- dishonor
- puniness
- pettiness
- shame
- anonymity
- disgrace
- odium
- ignominy
- infamy
- littleness
- slightness
- disrepute
- worthlessness
- opprobrium
- paltriness
- obscurity
- valuelessness
account
2 of 2verb
as in to view
to think of in a particular way account themselves lucky to be alive Synonyms & Similar Words
- view
- regard
- consider
- rate
- call
- count
- believe
- set down
- take for
- hold
- sense
- reckon
- feel
- think
- deem
- esteem
- look (on or upon)
- imagine
- conceive
- fancy