# audit

/ˈɔdɪt/ (US) · /ˈɔːdɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/audit
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. financial inspection

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

an official examination of the accounts or records of a business.

For teachers: an independent examination of financial records and internal controls to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations.

- The company had to provide all its receipts for the annual tax audit.
- The internal audit revealed several discrepancies in the procurement department, leading to a complete overhaul of their reporting procedures.

Usage: Often used with the verbs 'conduct', 'carry out', or 'undergo'.

### 2. to check accounts

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to officially examine financial records to make sure they are correct.

For teachers: to conduct a formal financial or operational review of an organisation.

- The government decided to audit the charity after some money went missing.
- External specialists were brought in to audit the bank's risk management systems following the market crash.

Usage: This is a transitive verb that always takes a direct object.

### 3. to attend a class without credit

verb · CEFR C1 · American English

to sit in on a university course to learn, but without taking exams or getting a grade.

For teachers: to attend an academic course as a listener without the intention of obtaining formal credit or a grade.

- I decided to audit the history class because I was interested in the topic but too busy for extra homework.
- Although she was a physics major, she chose to audit a series of lectures on Renaissance art to broaden her cultural horizons.

Teaching tip: This usage is very common in North American universities but less frequent in other English-speaking regions.

## Examples

- The company is preparing for its annual financial audit.
- After the internal audit revealed several errors in the bookkeeping, the manager hired a new accounting firm to oversee the records.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.