Account word meaning and definition

[noun] the quality of taking advantage; "she turned her writing skills to good account"
[noun] importance or value; "a person of considerable account"; "he predicted that although it is of small account now it will rapidly increase in importance"
[noun] 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"
[noun] a statement of money owed for goods or services; "he paid his bill and left"; "send me an account of what I owe"
[noun] 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"
[noun] 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"
[noun] the act of informing by verbal report; "he heard reports that they were causing trouble"; "by all accounts they were a happy couple"
[noun] 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"
[noun] a statement of recent transactions and the resulting balance; "they send me an accounting every month"
[noun] 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"
[verb] furnish a justifying analysis or explanation; "I can't account for the missing money"
[verb] to give an account or representation of in words; "Discreet Italian police described it in a manner typically continental."
[verb] keep an account of
[verb] 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"

\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.
\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.
\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.

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