What Does Account Mean?
According to Dictionary.com, the meaning of the word varies, depending on how it’s used. It’s defined as a noun, a verb (used without an object), and a verb again (used with an object). Let’s take a look at a few of the definitions of the word that appear for different parts of speech:
Noun
- An oral or written description of particular events or situations; narrative
- An explanatory statement of conduct, as to a superior
Verb (used without object)
- To give an explanation (usually followed by for)
- To answer concerning one’s conduct, duties, etc. (usually followed by for)
Verb (used with object)
- To regard; consider as
- To assign or impute (usually followed by to)
Refer to Dictonary.com to see additional definitions.
Synonyms of Account
Some of the synonyms of the word account are as follows:
- Detail
- Explanation
- History
- Narrative
- Story
- Tale
- Version
- Report
- Commentary
- Record
The History of the Word Account
The origin story of the word account is different for its verb form and the noun form. Here’s the history of the word, as described in the Online Etymology Dictionary, with respect to the two different forms:
- As a Noun: The word originated in 1300, at which time it meant “counting”, especially “reckoning of money received and paid, detailed statement of funds owed or spent, or property held.” It has several influences from different languages. The first was from the Old French word acont (a meaning “to” + cont meaning “counting, reckoning of money to be paid”). Another influence was from the Late Latin word computus (meaning “a calculation”). Lastly, the word comes from the Latin computare (com meaning “with/together” + putare meaning “to reckon”). From the phrase “rendering an account” came the definitions that cover a statement or a narration. Those meanings evolved by the 1610’s.
- As a Verb: Originating in the 1300’s, the word originally meant “to count or enumerate.” It was taken from the Old French word aconter (a meaning “to” and conter meaning “to count or tell”). The meanings “to reckon for money given or received, render a reckoning” and ‘“to render an account of particulars” evolved by the late 14th century.
When to Use the Abbreviation for Account
There are two common ways to abbreviate the word account, and they are:
While the plural abbreviation of account is accts., the abbreviation a/c can be interpreted as plural, as well. The abbreviation commonly appears in business reports, texts from the accounting sector, banking documents, and emails. The abbreviation of the word account to acct. or a/c can also be found in headlines or newspaper titles where space is limited. Besides accounting, business, banking, or headlines, the word is not generally abbreviated.
When in doubt, check with your preferred style guide. You can often find detailed instructions about how and when to use abbreviations. Here’s an example of an organizational style guide with specific instructions for the use of abbreviations.
How to Use the Word and Its Abbreviations
Here are some examples that show how the word account and its abbreviations may be used in sentences:
-
- The woman gave an eyewitness account of the crime.
- The book gives a fictional account of history.
- She would like to open a bank account.
- He finally paid off his account balance to the IRS.
- Please charge my account.
- Who is the account holder?
- Has the money been fully accounted for?
- Don’t put a stop on my account.
- There has been a huge loss of livestock on account of shortage of food and water.
- Statistics show that heavy vehicles account for a large number of accidents.
- Your a/c xxxxxxxxxxx has a debit of $147.50 on 02/16/18.
- Millionaire’s Acct. Blocked Due to Fraudulent Activities.
- I want to open a Facebook account.
- Her account of the night was so much more compelling than his.
- There is a Greek proverb which states that good accounts make good friends.
- Studies show that suicide accounts for about 25 percent of teenage deaths.
- The first written account of the Loch Ness Monster was made by a Viking sailor in 565 AD.
- The early migrations of man were largely on account of his response to the changing environment of the ice age.
- The cash flow into your account depends on how many hours you work.
- A certified public accountant will obviously know how to handle this account.
- The chief financial officer took one look at his account history and expressed disappointment.
- Your accounts payable department should use generally accepted accounting principles.
- Don’t you have a bank account number in New York?
- His account in the United States has been shut down.
- You can Google how to transfer money to an international account.
- You should know these terms—stock exchange, balance sheet, return on investment (ROI), interest rate, foreign exchange, present value, general ledger, financial statement, and addendum—before opening an account.
- Have you written a follow-up to account for the recent changes?
Sources:
https://www.etymonline.com/
https://www.dictionary.com
https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2015/10/an-abbreviations-faq.html
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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
January 10, 2020
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