ENGLISH
REFERENCE

GAO

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈɡaʊ// gao Informal

n. Stands for Government Accountability Office. A government office in the United States that checks how public money is spent. It helps the government work better and stay honest.

n. Abbreviation for Government Accountability Office. An independent, non-partisan agency that provides auditing, evaluation, and investigative services for the United States Congress.


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 preceded by the definite article 'the'. When referring to the agency, it is treated as a singular entity.

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