What does "audit" mean?
A judicial examination.
Audit
/ˈɔː.dɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A judicial examination.
- Grammar: audit is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accountancy, accounted, accounting, adherence check.
- Useful contrasts: credit bearing enrollment, credit earning enrollment, drop.
- Usage evidence: This financial audit also includes an evaluation of the company's assets.
How to use "audit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "audit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "audit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "audit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "audit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "audit" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accountancy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "audit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A judicial examination.
- 2 a methodical examination or review of a condition or situation wordnet
- 3 An examination in general.
- 4 an inspection of the accounting procedures and records by a trained accountant or CPA wordnet
- 5 An independent review and examination of records and activities to assess the adequacy of system controls, to ensure compliance with established policies and operational procedures, and to recommend necessary changes in controls, policies, or procedures
"National Assembly audit"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 The result of such an examination, or an account as adjusted by auditors; final account.
"Yet I can make my audit up."
- 7 Spiritual counseling, which forms the core of Dianetics.
"[ Werner Erhard said:] I got a lot of benefit from auditing. It was the fastest and deepest way to handle situations that I had yet encountered."
- 8 A general receptacle or receiver. obsolete
", "A Funeral Sermon" It [a little brook] paid to its common audit no more than the revenues of a little cloud."
- 9 An audience; a hearing. obsolete
"With his Oriſons I meddle not, for hee appeals to a high Audit."
Verb
- 1 To examine and adjust (e.g. an account).
"to audit the accounts of a treasure, or of parties who have a suit depending in court"
- 2 attend academic courses without getting credit wordnet
- 3 To conduct an independent review and examination of system records and activities in order to test the adequacy and effectiveness of data security and data integrity procedures, to ensure compliance with established policy and operational procedures, and to recommend any necessary changes
- 4 examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification wordnet
- 5 To counsel spiritually.
"In John's case, I suspect, when he lost Diana he went back to his Scientology church to be audited."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To attend an academic class without the opportunity to receive academic credit.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"This financial audit also includes an evaluation of the company's assets."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "audit"?
Common synonyms include: accountancy, accounted, accounting, adherence check, analysis, analyze data.
How do you use "audit" in a sentence?
This financial audit also includes an evaluation of the company's assets.
How do you pronounce "audit"?
Pronounced /ˈɔː.dɪt/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin audītus, from audiō (“I hear”). Sense of “examine” was because examinations were originally presented orally, and the examiner listened.