Account Definition

ə-kount

accounted, accounting, accounts

noun

accounts

A narrative or record of events.

American Heritage

A counting; calculation.

Webster's New World

A reason given for a particular action or event.

What is the account for this loss?

American Heritage

A record of the financial data pertaining to a specific asset, liability, income item, expense item, or net-worth item.

Webster's New World

A report relating to one's conduct.

Gave a satisfactory account of herself.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

verb

accounted, accounting, accounts

To consider as being; deem.

American Heritage

To consider or judge to be; deem; value.

Webster's New World

To furnish a reckoning (to someone) of money received and paid out.

Webster's New World

To make satisfactory amends (for)

He will account for his crime.

Webster's New World

To give satisfactory reasons or an explanation (for)

Can he account for his actions?

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

idiom

call to account

To challenge or contest.
To hold answerable for.

American Heritage

on account

On credit.

American Heritage

on account of

Because of; for the sake of:

American Heritage

on no account

Under no circumstances.

American Heritage

on (one's) own account

For oneself.
On one's own; by oneself:
He wants to work on his own account.

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Account

Noun

Singular:

account

Plural:

accounts

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Account

Origin of Account

Middle English from Old French acont from aconter to reckon a- to (from Latin ad- ad–) cunter to count (from Latin computāre to sum up compute)

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman acunte (“account”), from Old French acont, from aconter (“to reckon”), from Latin computo (“to sum up”)

From Wiktionary
From Anglo-Norman acounter, accomptere et al., Middle French aconter, acompter, from a- + conter (“to count”). Compare count.

From Wiktionary
First attested around 1300. ((reckoning of moneys received and paid):)

From Wiktionary