From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishaccountac‧count1 /əˈkaʊnt/ ●●● S1 W1 noun [countable] 1 description a written or spoken description that says what happens in an event or processaccount of He was too shocked to give an account of what had happened.blow-by-blow account (=a description of all the details of an event in the order that they happened) a blow-by-blow account of how England lost to Portugal Chomsky’s account of how children learn their first languageeye-witness/first-hand account (=a description of events by someone who saw them) Eye-witness accounts told of the unprovoked shooting of civilians. This gives a first-hand account of the war.2 at a bank (written abbreviation a/c or acct.) an arrangement in which a bank keeps your money safe so that you can pay more in or take money out My salary is paid into my bank account. I’ve opened an account with Barclay’s Bank. My husband and I have a joint account (=one that is shared between two people). → bank account, checking account, current account, deposit account, profit and loss account, savings account3 → take account of something4 → on account of something5 → accounts6 → on account7 PAY FORwith a shop/company an arrangement that you have with a shop or company, which allows you to buy goods or use a service now and pay for them later SYN credit account Can you charge this to my account please? an unlimited-use Internet account8 bill a statement that shows how much money you owe for things you have bought from a shop SYN billpay/settle your account (=pay what you owe) James left the restaurant, settling his account by credit card.9 arrangement to sell goods an arrangement to sell goods and services to another company over a period of time Our sales manager has secured several big accounts recently.10 → by/from all accounts11 → on somebody’s account12 → on your own account13 → on no account/not on any account14 → by somebody’s own account15 → on that account/on this account16 → give a good/poor account of yourself17 → bring/call somebody to account18 → put/turn something to good account19 → of no/little accountCOLLOCATIONSverbsgive an accountMarshall gave the police his account of how the fight started.provide an accountFreud has provided an account of the human psyche’s stages of development.write an accountHe later wrote an account of his experiences during the war.read an accountHave you read his account of the journey?ADJECTIVES/NOUN + accounta detailed accountShe gave me a detailed account of what happened at the meeting.a full accountIt is not possible to give a full account of what we discussed.a short accountWhat follows is a short account of the legal procedure.a brief accountThe class were asked to write a brief account of their holidays.a clear accountI’ve tried to write a clear account of the incident.an accurate accountBoth newspapers gave fairly accurate accounts of what had happened.a true accountThe book is a true account of his life and death.a blow-by-blow account (=very detailed)Rosemary gave me a blow-by-blow account of their trip.a graphic account (=very clear with a lot of details, especially unpleasant details)He wrote a graphic account of his time in jail.a vivid account (=so clear that it seems real or like real life)I read a vivid account of his experiences in Egypt.an eye-witness account (=an account of an event, given by the person who saw it happen)an eye-witness account of the attacka first-hand account (=an account of a situation, given by the person who experienced it)a first-hand account of life in the refugee campsconflicting accounts (=different accounts of the same event, that cannot both be true)There were conflicting accounts of what actually happened. THESAURUSaccount a written or spoken description that says what happens in an event or processHe provided the police with a detailed account of what he saw.description something you say or write that gives details about what something or someone is likeThe report gave a brief description of the problem.story an account of something that has happened which may not be true – used especially when people are telling each other about somethingI don’t think he was honest enough to tell us the full story.Her parents did not believe her story.report a written or spoken account of a situation or event, giving people the information they need, especially after studying something as part of your jobThe UN will issue a report on the incident.Initial police reports suggest she was murdered.version a particular person’s account of an event, which is different from the account that another person givesHer version of events has been contradicted by other witnesses.
Examples from the Corpus
account• Elephants, by all accounts, were pretty strong too.• In the magazine, Cook gives a colorful account of his first meeting with Hamilton.• The newspaper printed a detailed account of the trial.• There were several different accounts of the story in the newspapers.• Her account of the events of that day was wildly different from the first witness's.• Surkov had repeated for my benefit his account of the submarine commander, poised to unleash destruction on London.• This natural sequence of events is frequently obscured when the condition is treated without taking the constitution into account.• I'd like to deposit this check into my account.• The others had nasty accounts of their interviews.• Mere discriminations on account of race or color were not regarded as badges of slavery.• We charged the sofa to our Macy's account.• So far no linguist has given us a satisfactory account of how children learn language.• Pheifer manages several accounts for the ad agency.• It seeks to take account of the facts.• Cureton has provided a theoretical account of our intuitions about rhythm.• Senior Labor politician Tony Benn has been publishing diary installments for decades, providing a vivid account of Parliament.account of• Chomsky's account of how children learn their first language has sparked lots of debate.opened an account• Mr Adrian Grant opened accounts for both his children when they were born.• The business continued to expand, and a high sport occurred when the King himself opened an account in 1800.• Roosevelt Principal Mike Price opened an account, and the checks went directly to the bank. pay/settle your account• Anyone settling their account within twelve months had half the commission returned.• It is simply a guide as to how long your customers take before paying their accounts.• Be reasoned Give your debtor a better reason for paying his account than for not paying it, such as: 1.• The line through 501 indicates that Mr R. James departed after lunch settling his account of £80.15 by Access credit card.• You must settle your account within 30 days.• In many cases, higher rates apply for those holders who do not pay their accounts by direct debit.• Finally comes settlement, but don't count on this to pay your accounts at the end of the month.• A note on discount Cash discounts A supplier may offer a cash discount to a retailer who settles his account promptly.accountaccount2 ●●○ S3 W3 verb → account for something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
account• The gender split has also narrowed, with females accounting for 46 per cent of Internet users.• It reported that drivers' spinning of the radio dial accounted for far more crashes.• Unless very few ladies account for most male conquests, that suggests we all bend the truth.• The new approach attempts to account for non-value-added costs separate from value-added costs.• It is often the negative power I perceive within myself that is so difficult to account for, or control.• So what accounts for the enduring appeal of wild animal patterns?• The limestone was deposited in very quiet water conditions, which accounts for the preservation of this delicate little fossil.From Longman Business Dictionaryaccountac‧count1 /əˈkaʊnt/ noun1[countable] written abbreviation a/c, or acctBANKING an arrangement between a bank and a customer that allows the customer to pay in and take out money; BANK ACCOUNTShe used her first pay check to open an account (=to start one).80% of people have held an account (=had one) with the same bank for five years or more.They were unhappy with service at the bank and closed their account there. → see also money of account, unit of account, statement of account2no accountBANKING words written on a cheque to show that the account to which it relates has been closed3[countable]ACCOUNTING a record showing a particular part of the finances of a business4accounts [plural]ACCOUNTING the complete set of records showing money coming into and going out of a business, its profits, and its financial situationThe new accounts contain more bad news for shareholders. → see also books of account5accounts [plural]ACCOUNTING the department of a company that deals with its accountsShe works in accounts.6COMMERCEMARKETING [countable] an arrangement between a buyer and a seller for payment to be made some time after the buyer receives the goods or servicesNo interest is charged provided the account is settled (=the money owed is paid) in full every month.All clients are sent a monthly account statement (=list of goods or services bought and money owed).7on accountCOMMERCE paid as part of the total amount that needs to be paidWe’ll pay you half of your fee on account. 8on accountCOMMERCE to be paid for laterMost of this equipment was bought on account.9[countable]ORGANIZATIONSCOMMERCE an organization that is a regular client of a company, especially an ADVERTISING AGENCYThe agency won several major accounts this year.He’s always on the road calling on key accounts (=important clients). → abbreviated accounts → adjustment account → annual accounts → appropriation account → approved accounts → audited accounts → balance of payments capital account → balance of payments current account → bank account → blocked account → call account → cash account → cash management account → charge account → cheque account → client account → club account → club accounts → company accounts → consignment account → consolidated accounts → contra account → contra-asset account → control account → credit account → current account → custodial account → debit account → demand account → deposit account → depreciation account → discretionary account → dormant account → drawing account → email account → entertainment account → escrow account → Exchange equalization account → expense account → external account → final accounts → foreign currency account → group accounts → inactive account → income and expenditure account → individual retirement account → instant access account → interim accounts → joint account → loro account → margin account → merchant account → nominal accounts → nostro account → notice account → NOW account → numbered account → postal account → profit and loss account → public account → purchases account → real accounts → sales account → sales returns account → savings account → sundries account → suspense account → vostro accountaccountaccount2 verb → account for something→ See Verb tableOrigin account2 (1300-1400) Old French acompter, from compter “to count” 