audit

1 of 2

noun

au·​dit ˈȯ-dət How to pronounce audit (audio)
1
a
: a formal examination of an organization's or individual's accounts or financial situation
The audit showed that the company had misled investors.
b
: the final report of an audit
2
: a methodical examination and review
an energy audit of the house

audit

2 of 2

verb

audited; auditing; audits

transitive verb

1
: to perform an audit of or for
audit the books
audit the company
2
: to attend (a course) without working for or expecting to receive formal credit
audited a foreign language course
auditability noun
auditable adjective
auditee noun

Examples of audit in a Sentence

Noun The Internal Revenue Service selected us for an audit. You will need all your records if you are selected for audit by the IRS. Verb They audit the company books every year. The Internal Revenue Service audited him twice in 10 years. I audited an English literature class last semester.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The last audit of the facility was in 2014, over a decade ago, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, before the jail located in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood was opened. Ryan Young, CNN Money, 24 May 2025 Conduct an audit of your practices to ensure objectivity is embedded into workplace systems and consider different ways to hold leaders accountable for cultivating an inclusive and equitable environment. Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Verb
But that order was later rescinded by Mr. Trump, who said Paul Weiss had agreed to a litany of compromises, like auditing its hiring practices and dedicating $40 million to pro bono legal services on causes that both the firm and the Trump administration agree upon. Joe Walsh, CBS News, 23 May 2025 For example, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Santos forged the signature of a bookkeeping firm employee to falsely represent that the firm had audited a financial statement claiming Ethos had over $2.2 billion in total assets. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for audit

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English audyte "examination of accounts, judicial hearing," borrowed from Medieval Latin audītus "sense of hearing, act of listening, right to judicial hearing, examination of accounts," going back to Latin, "sense or act of hearing," from audīre "to hear" + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at audible entry 1

Note: The sense "examination of accounts," attested relatively late in Medieval Latin, is based on the word audītor, which in the meaning "one who examines accounts" is recorded much earlier—see auditor.

Verb

Middle English audyten, derivative of audyte audit entry 1; in sense 2 back-formation from auditor

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of audit was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Audit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audit. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

audit

1 of 2 noun
au·​dit ˈȯd-ət How to pronounce audit (audio)
1
: a thorough check of accounts especially of a business
2
: a careful check or review
an energy audit of our house

audit

2 of 2 verb
: to make an audit of

Legal Definition

audit

noun
au·​dit ˈȯ-dət How to pronounce audit (audio)
: a formal examination of financial records often to uncover fraud or inaccurate tax returns
also : the final report of such an examination
audit verb

More from Merriam-Webster on audit

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