accounts payables

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralbusinessfinance

   The amounts a company owes to its suppliers for goods or services it has already received but not yet paid for.

   Grammar: Used as a plural noun; the singular form 'account payable' refers to one such debt.

   Patterns

   • accounts payables of a company
   • manage accounts payables
   • accounts payables department

   The finance team reviews accounts payables every Friday to decide which invoices to pay first.

   Late payment of accounts payables can damage a small supplier's cash flow.

   Our accounts payables rose sharply after we stocked up for the holiday season.

2. 2nounsingularbusinessfinance

   The department or section of a business that records and pays what the company owes.

   Grammar: Often used before another noun, as in 'accounts payables clerk' or 'accounts payables system'.

   Patterns

   • work in accounts payables
   • accounts payables clerk
   • accounts payables system

   She moved from accounts receivables to accounts payables last year.

   The accounts payables clerk spotted a duplicate invoice and stopped the payment.

   Training new staff in accounts payables takes about two weeks.

Word forms

Common combinations

accounts payables department

Send the invoice to the accounts payables department, not to sales.

manage accounts payables

Good software makes it easier to manage accounts payables.

accounts payables turnover

A high accounts payables turnover ratio can mean the company pays suppliers quickly.

reduce accounts payables

We plan to reduce accounts payables by paying early and taking discounts.

Synonyms and how they differ

payables

Shorter and very common in business writing; it means the same thing and is often preferred in reports.

creditors

British business usage for the people or firms owed money; it focuses on the other party rather than the debt itself.

Opposites

Word family

payable adjective

Meaning 'that must be paid', as in 'the amount payable within 30 days'.

payment noun

The act of paying money, or the money paid.

pay verb

To give money for goods, work or a debt.

Commonly confused: accounts payables or accounts receivables?

Practice

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