1 ac·count
Pronounced:
/əˈkaʊnt/
Function:
nounInflected forms:
plural ac·countsMeaning:
1 a [count] : a record of money that has been paid and money that has been received : bill ▪ the difference between the debit and credit sides of an account —see also expense account b accounts [plural] : records of income and expenses ▪ We always keep very good accounts. ▪ an accounts department ▪ The company's accounts show a profit this year: our accounts receivable exceed our accounts payable. [=the money owed to us exceeds the money we owe]
2 [count] : an arrangement in which a bank keeps a record of the money that a person puts in and takes out of the bank ▪ 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/deposits a part of her paycheck into a separate account. ▪ setting up a bank account ▪ My wife and I keep our money in a joint account. [=an account that both of us can use] —often used before another noun ▪ Please enter your name and account number. ▪ You can check your account balance [=the amount of money in your account] on the Internet. —see also checking account, savings account
3 [count] : a company's record of the products or services used by a customer and of the money that the customer owes or has paid to the company ▪ I don't have the money right now. Put it on my account. = Charge it to my account. ▪ If you return the clothes, the store will credit your account. [=you will not have to pay for the clothes] ▪ When do you intend to settle your account? [=pay what you owe] —see also charge account, credit account ◊In figurative use, to settle an account or to settle accounts with someone is to do something that brings a final end to an argument, disagreement, etc. ▪ She's decided to settle accounts with her old political rivals.
4 [count] : a business arrangement in which a person or company regularly buys products or services from a particular company ▪ She makes sure that all of the company's accounts [=customers, clients] make the necessary payments. ▪ We just lost the Smith account. ▪ That company was one of our biggest/best accounts. ▪ She will be our account manager. [=the person who manages our account]
5 [count] : an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or e-mail services of a particular company ▪ I use two separate e-mail accounts.
6 [count] : a description of an event or situation : a story or report about something ▪ personal/firsthand/eyewitness accounts from the war ▪ According to one account, the party was a complete disaster. —often + of ▪ She gave the police a full/complete/detailed account of what happened. ▪ We read an account of her trip to Paris. ▪ a written account of his long and successful career
7 [count] : a list or description of facts ▪ Our goal is to give an accurate account of the process. ▪ an account of how the system works ▪ The document is an account of the country's reasons for going to war.
8 [count] : a reason or explanation for an action ▪ You will be asked to give an account of your actions. [=to explain the reasons for your actions] ▪ He could give no account of what he did with the money. —often used in the formal phrase on that account ▪ I hope we won't lose our friendship on that account. [=for that reason]
9 [noncount] formal : value or importance —used in the phrases of no account and of little account ▪ He felt that his opinions were of no account to the others. [=he thought that the other people didn't care about his opinions] ▪ It's of little account what I may think about it. —see also no-account
2 [count] : an arrangement in which a bank keeps a record of the money that a person puts in and takes out of the bank ▪ 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/deposits a part of her paycheck into a separate account. ▪ setting up a bank account ▪ My wife and I keep our money in a joint account. [=an account that both of us can use] —often used before another noun ▪ Please enter your name and account number. ▪ You can check your account balance [=the amount of money in your account] on the Internet. —see also checking account, savings account
3 [count] : a company's record of the products or services used by a customer and of the money that the customer owes or has paid to the company ▪ I don't have the money right now. Put it on my account. = Charge it to my account. ▪ If you return the clothes, the store will credit your account. [=you will not have to pay for the clothes] ▪ When do you intend to settle your account? [=pay what you owe] —see also charge account, credit account ◊In figurative use, to settle an account or to settle accounts with someone is to do something that brings a final end to an argument, disagreement, etc. ▪ She's decided to settle accounts with her old political rivals.
4 [count] : a business arrangement in which a person or company regularly buys products or services from a particular company ▪ She makes sure that all of the company's accounts [=customers, clients] make the necessary payments. ▪ We just lost the Smith account. ▪ That company was one of our biggest/best accounts. ▪ She will be our account manager. [=the person who manages our account]
5 [count] : an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or e-mail services of a particular company ▪ I use two separate e-mail accounts.
6 [count] : a description of an event or situation : a story or report about something ▪ personal/firsthand/eyewitness accounts from the war ▪ According to one account, the party was a complete disaster. —often + of ▪ She gave the police a full/complete/detailed account of what happened. ▪ We read an account of her trip to Paris. ▪ a written account of his long and successful career
7 [count] : a list or description of facts ▪ Our goal is to give an accurate account of the process. ▪ an account of how the system works ▪ The document is an account of the country's reasons for going to war.
8 [count] : a reason or explanation for an action ▪ You will be asked to give an account of your actions. [=to explain the reasons for your actions] ▪ He could give no account of what he did with the money. —often used in the formal phrase on that account ▪ I hope we won't lose our friendship on that account. [=for that reason]
9 [noncount] formal : value or importance —used in the phrases of no account and of little account ▪ He felt that his opinions were of no account to the others. [=he thought that the other people didn't care about his opinions] ▪ It's of little account what I may think about it. —see also no-account
bring/call (someone) to account
: to require (someone) to explain and accept punishment or criticism for bad or wrong behavior ▪ He was called to account by his boss for failing to spot the mistake in the company's records.
by/from all accounts
: according to all of the different descriptions of something ▪ By all accounts, the band put on a great show. [=everyone says that the band put on a great show] ▪ She was, by all accounts, good at her job. ▪ They seemed, from all accounts, to have a happy marriage.
by your own account
: according to what you have said about your own life or experiences ▪ By her own account, that was the worst performance of her career. [=she said that was her worst performance] ▪ They had, by their own account, a wonderful time.
give a good account of yourself
: to perform well especially in a competition ▪ If I ever had to fight, I think I could give a good account of myself.
on account of
: because of : for the reason of ▪ The game was canceled on account of the rain. ▪ They were treated badly on account of their beliefs. ▪ On account of his bad behavior, he will not be allowed to play with the new toy.
on no account or not on any account
chiefly Brit : for no reason : under no circumstances —used to say that something will not or should not happen ▪ On no account should the children be left at home alone. ▪ They said that on no account would they leave before the end of the game.
on someone's account
: because of someone : in order to please someone ▪ Don't leave on our account. [=because of us] ▪ You didn't have to clean your room on my account. I don't care if your room is dirty.
on your own account
1 : by yourself : on your own : without the help of others ▪ She bought the house entirely on her own account. ▪ He left the company and went into business on his own account.
2 : for your own sake : in order to make a situation good for yourself ▪ I'm doing it on my own account, not for anyone else.
2 : for your own sake : in order to make a situation good for yourself ▪ I'm doing it on my own account, not for anyone else.
take (something) into account or take account of (something)
: to think about (something) before doing something (such as making a decision) : consider ▪ Try to take our feelings into account. [=try to think about how we will feel] ▪ Other issues must be taken into account before a choice can be made. ▪ She did very well on the test when you take into account how little she studied. ▪ She takes no account of my feelings. [=she doesn't consider how I feel] ▪ The new health plan fails to take account of the fact that many people cannot pay for their medicine.
turn (something) to (good) account
formal : to gain or profit from (something) : to take advantage of (something) ▪ Is there a way to turn this situation to good account?