1
a
: a formal examination of an organization's or individual's accounts or financial situation
The audit showed that the company had misled investors.
b
: the final report of an audit
2
: a methodical examination and review
an energy audit of the house
audited; auditing; audits
1
: to perform an audit of or for
audit the books
audit the company
2
: to attend (a course) without working for or expecting to receive formal credit
audited a foreign language course
Examples of audit in a Sentence
Noun
The Internal Revenue Service selected us for an audit.
You will need all your records if you are selected for audit by the IRS.
Verb
They audit the company books every year.
The Internal Revenue Service audited him twice in 10 years.
I audited an English literature class last semester.
Recent Examples on the Web
Karla Dennis, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Out of nearly 35,000 vehicles listed in the state’s new vehicle-tracking database, about 2,300 valued at $57 million were unaccounted for in other state property records, and hundreds of others had missing or inaccurate vehicle ID numbers, the audit stated.
—Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
Melissa Sierra, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Targets: cities, counties The governor says his copycat state-level DOGE will audit cities and counties, colleges and universities, repeal 70 as-yet unspecified state boards, fire hundreds of state employees.
—Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for audit
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Noun
Understanding what not to do is crucial to avoid an audit.
—Karla Dennis, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Out of nearly 35,000 vehicles listed in the state’s new vehicle-tracking database, about 2,300 valued at $57 million were unaccounted for in other state property records, and hundreds of others had missing or inaccurate vehicle ID numbers, the audit stated.
—Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
To prevent burnout in these situations, leaders must audit their calendars often and purposefully.
—Melissa Sierra, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Targets: cities, counties The governor says his copycat state-level DOGE will audit cities and counties, colleges and universities, repeal 70 as-yet unspecified state boards, fire hundreds of state employees.
—Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for audit
Cite this Entry
“Audit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audit. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
audit
1 of 2 noun
au·dit
ˈȯd-ət 
1
: a thorough check of accounts especially of a business
2
: a careful check or review
an energy audit of our house
audit
2 of 2 verb
: to make an audit of
Legal Definition
audit
noun
au·dit
ˈȯ-dət
: a formal examination of financial records often to uncover fraud or inaccurate tax returns
also
: the final report of such an examination
audit
verb
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