audit
noun · verb
Simple meaning
an official inspection or independent check of records
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
awditSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɔdɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An inspection of the accounting procedures and records by a trained accountant or CPA
An independent review and examination of records and activities to assess the adequacy of system controls, to ensure compliance with established policies and operational procedures, and to recommend necessary changes in controls, policies, or procedures
A methodical examination or review of a condition or situation
“He made an audit of all the plants on his property.”
The result of such an examination, or an account as adjusted by auditors; final account.
An examination in general.
A judicial examination.
verb
financebusiness
To conduct an independent review and examination of system records and activities in order to test the adequacy and effectiveness of data security and data integrity procedures, to ensure compliance with established policy and operational procedures, and to recommend any necessary changes
Examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification
To examine and adjust (e.g. an account).
Attend academic courses without getting credit
To attend an academic class without the opportunity to receive academic credit.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: An inspection of the accounting procedures and records by a trained accountant or CPA
Used this way, audit is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a financial use: it has a settled meaning in accounting and business, where precision matters more than colour.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Finance/economics
- Business/professional
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Someone who listens attentively.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A listing of audit procedures to be performed in completing an audit.
A listing of audit procedures to be performed in completing an audit.
An inspection of the accounting procedures and records by a trained accountant or CPA.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- financesnoun
- comptrollernoun
- accountantnoun
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