ENGLISH
REFERENCE

audit

n. countable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˈɔdɪt// UK //ˈɔːdɪt// au·dit Archaic

n. an official check of a person's or company's financial records to make sure they are correct. It can also mean a careful examination of how a process or system is working.

n. an official inspection of an individual's or organization's accounts, typically by an independent body. The sense extends to any systematic review or assessment of a process, quality, or situation.


SIMPLE

The company is preparing for its annual financial audit.

CONTEXTUAL

After the internal audit revealed several errors in the bookkeeping, the manager hired a new accounting firm to oversee the records.

COMPLEX

The environmental audit concluded that while the factory met current legal standards, its waste management protocols required significant modernization to align with the new corporate sustainability goals.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin audītus, from audiō (“I hear”). Sense of “examine” was because examinations were originally presented orally, and the examiner listened.

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'conduct', 'carry out', or 'perform'.

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