Word
GAO
Phoneticsgao
/ˈɡaʊ/
Definition
n. Stands for Government Accountability Office. It is a group that watches how the US government spends money to make sure it is not wasted.
n. Abbreviation for Government Accountability Office. A non-partisan agency within the legislative branch of the US government that audits and investigates federal spending.
Examples
“The GAO released a report on military spending.”
“Congress requested that the GAO investigate the efficiency of the new healthcare subsidies.”
“By providing objective data on federal programs, the GAO serves as a critical check on executive branch spending and helps ensure legislative oversight remains grounded in fiscal reality.”
Examples
simple
“The GAO released a report on military spending.”
contextual
“Congress requested that the GAO investigate the efficiency of the new healthcare subsidies.”
complex
“By providing objective data on federal programs, the GAO serves as a critical check on executive branch spending and helps ensure legislative oversight remains grounded in fiscal reality.”
Usage
Usually used with the definite article 'the' when referring to the agency.
Teaching tip
This is a high-level term mostly found in news reports about US politics or economics.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/gao