Past tense of audit, meaning to conduct an official examination and verification of accounts, records, or processes. Can also mean to attend a class without receiving credit.
From Latin auditus, past participle of audire 'to hear.' Originally, audits were conducted orally - accounts were read aloud to auditors who listened carefully to detect errors or fraud. The modern sense of systematic examination developed in the 19th century.
The word 'audit' literally means 'he hears' in Latin because medieval accounting was done orally - the accountant would read the books aloud while auditors listened for inconsistencies. This is why we still use hearing-related terms like 'auditor' and why some people 'audit' classes by just listening without taking exams.
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