counting house: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1formal, historical, literary
Quick answer
What does “counting house” mean?
An office or building where financial accounts are kept and managed, especially historically.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An office or building where financial accounts are kept and managed, especially historically.
A term for the financial department or office of a business, often with historical or formal connotations, and famously referenced in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties understand the term, but it is more likely to appear in British historical/literary contexts. The US equivalent in historical contexts might be 'counting room' or simply 'accounting office'.
Connotations
UK: Strong Dickensian/historical association, often with imagery of clerks with quills. US: Less culturally embedded; primarily a historical business term.
Frequency
Very low frequency in both, but higher in UK due to literary heritage. Almost never used in contemporary business.
Grammar
How to Use “counting house” in a Sentence
[work/be employed] in a counting housethe counting house of [company/merchant]the [adjective] counting houseVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “counting house” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The firm's finances were counting-housed in the City.
- They decided to counting-house the overseas accounts separately.
American English
- The colonial trade was counting-housed in Boston.
- He proposed counting-housing the venture's capital.
adverb
British English
- The clerk worked counting-house diligently from dawn.
- The funds were managed counting-house carefully.
American English
- He reviewed the figures counting-house thoroughly.
- The estate was administered counting-house strictly.
adjective
British English
- The counting-house records were meticulously kept.
- He had a counting-house mentality about every penny.
American English
- The counting-house ledgers date back to the 1820s.
- She approached the budget with counting-house precision.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in historical company names or to deliberately evoke tradition.
Academic
Used in economic history, literary studies (especially Victorian literature).
Everyday
Virtually never used. Recognised mainly from "A Christmas Carol".
Technical
Not used in modern accounting/finance terminology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “counting house”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “counting house”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “counting house”
- Using it to refer to a modern bank branch.
- Spelling as one word ('countinghouse' is an accepted but less common variant).
- Confusing it with a 'town house' or 'storehouse'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a historical term. Modern equivalents are 'accounts department', 'finance office', or 'accounting firm'.
Historically, a counting house was a private office for a merchant's or company's own accounts. A bank was a public institution that held deposits, made loans, and issued notes for multiple clients.
Extremely rarely and archaically. It would mean to manage or keep accounts in such an office. It is not part of modern usage.
Primarily for cultural literacy, especially to understand classic English literature (like Dickens) and historical texts where the term appears.
An office or building where financial accounts are kept and managed, especially historically.
Counting house is usually formal, historical, literary in register.
Counting house: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkaʊn.tɪŋ ˌhaʊs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkaʊn.t̬ɪŋ ˌhaʊs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “As rich as a counting house (rare)”
- “To know the way to the counting house (to understand finance)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of Ebenezer Scrooge sitting in his cold, dark 'counting house', literally counting his money.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A PHYSICAL SUBSTANCE TO BE COUNTED AND HOARDED; A BUSINESS IS A HOUSE WITH DIFFERENT ROOMS FOR DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS.
Practice
Quiz
In which famous work of literature does a 'counting house' feature prominently?