audit

Everyday

1. An official check of a company's or organisation's money records to make sure they are correct and honest. tree →
2. Any careful check or survey: an energy audit of the school. tree →
3. (verb) To carry out such a check. tree →
4. (verb, US) To attend a college class without taking the exam. tree →

In the lessons

A formal word of business and money; schools may do an energy, waste or safety audit where pupils count lights left on or rubbish thrown away. In maths it means checking that the numbers add up. Phrases: carry out an audit, energy audit, safety audit, pass an audit.

Examples

• Our class did an energy audit and counted 12 lights left on. tree →
• The company's accounts are audited every year. tree →
• (formal) The audit ascertained that the totals were correct. tree →
• The safety audit found a broken fire door. tree →
• We did a litter audit of the playground. tree →
• The auditor found a mistake in the sums. tree →

Note

Regular verb: audited, auditing. The person is an auditor. Do not confuse with "audition" (a test performance for a part in a play). In maths, an audit checks that money in minus money out matches what is left.