account

Definition of the noun account


1. (564) account, business relationship : 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"
2. (212) report, account : the act of informing by verbal report; "he heard reports that they were causing trouble"; "by all accounts they were a happy couple"
3. (121) history, account, chronicle, story : 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"
4. (69) report, news report, story, account, write up : 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"
5. (43) account, accounting, account statement : a statement of recent transactions and the resulting balance; "they send me an accounting every month"
6. (32) explanation, account : 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"
7. (19) bill, account, invoice : 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"
8. (9) score, account : 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"
9. (6) account : importance or value; "a person of considerable account"; "he predicted that although it is of small account now it will rapidly increase in importance"
10. (2) account : the quality of taking advantage; "she turned her writing skills to good account"

Definition of the verb account


1. account : 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. account, calculate : keep an account of
3. report, describe, account : to give an account or representation of in words; "Discreet Italian police described it in a manner typically continental"
4. account, answer for : furnish a justifying analysis or explanation; "I can't account for the missing money"