ə.ˈkaʊnt.ən.si ə.ˈkaʊn.tɪŋ the occupation of maintaining and auditing records and preparing financial reports for a business a system that provides quantitative information about finances a convincing explanation that reveals basic causes he was unable to give a clear accounting for his actions a statement of recent transactions and the resulting balance they send me an accounting every month a bookkeeper's chronological list of related debits and credits of a business; forms part of a ledger of accounts