Account

Ac·count

Account

n.
  1. A reckoning; computation; calculation; enumeration; a record of some reckoning; as, the Julian account of time.
    A beggarly account of empty boxes.
  2. A registry of pecuniary transactions; a written or printed statement of business dealings or debts and credits, and also of other things subjected to a reckoning or review; as, to keep one's account at the bank.
  3. A statement in general of reasons, causes, grounds, etc., explanatory of some event; as, no satisfactory account has been given of these phenomena. Hence, the word is often used simply for reason, ground, consideration, motive, etc.; as, on no account, on every account, on all accounts.
  4. A statement of facts or occurrences; recital of transactions; a relation or narrative; a report; a description; as, an account of a battle.
  5. A statement and explanation or vindication of one's conduct with reference to judgment thereon.
    Give an account of thy stewardship.
    — Luke xvi. 2.
  6. An estimate or estimation; valuation; judgment.
  7. Importance; worth; value; advantage; profit.
    This other part . . . makes account to find no slender arguments for this assertion out of those very scriptures which are commonly urged against it.
Syn. -- Narrative; narration; relation; recital; description; explanation; rehearsal.

Account, Narrative, Narration, Recital. These words are applied to different modes of rehearsing a series of events. Account turns attention not so much to the speaker as to the fact related, and more properly applies to the report of some single event, or a group of incidents taken as whole; as, an account of a battle, of a shipwreck, etc. A narrative is a continuous story of connected incidents, such as one friend might tell to another; as, a narrative of the events of a siege, a narrative of one's life, etc. Narration is usually the same as narrative, but is sometimes used to describe the mode of relating events; as, his powers of narration are uncommonly great. Recital denotes a series of events drawn out into minute particulars, usually expressing something which peculiarly interests the feelings of the speaker; as, the recital of one's wrongs, disappointments, sufferings, etc.

Account

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Accounted; p. pr. & vb. n. Accounting

  1. To reckon; to compute; to count. [Obs.]
    The motion of . . . the sun whereby years are accounted.
  2. To place to one's account; to put to the credit of; to assign; -- with to. [R.]
  3. To value, estimate, or hold in opinion; to judge or consider; to deem.
    Accounting that God was able to raise him up.
    — Heb. xi. 19.
  4. To recount; to relate. [Obs.]

Account

v. i.
  1. To render or receive an account or relation of particulars; as, an officer must account with or to the treasurer for money received.
  2. To render an account; to answer in judgment; -- with for; as, we must account for the use of our opportunities.
  3. To give a satisfactory reason; to tell the cause of; to explain; -- with for; as, idleness accounts for poverty.
    Newer was preaching more accounted of than in the sixteenth century.
    — Canon Robinson.

Phrases & Compounds
To account of
to esteem; to prize; to value. Now used only in the passive.