clean opinion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "clean opinion" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts such as finance or auditing to indicate a positive assessment or judgment without any reservations. Example: "The auditor provided a clean opinion on the company's financial statements, indicating that they were free of material misstatements."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

As a result, companies tend to select auditors who will provide a clean opinion as cheaply and quickly as possible.

The Economist

"There's a third option they could have gone for when signing off, but they gave a clean opinion.

The Times

Ordinarily when a material misstatement exists in DIHC disclosures, auditors must issue a qualified or an adverse opinion rather than a clean opinion.

Harvard University

It was audited in 2002 by Ernst & Young, which gave Adecco a clean opinion and said that it complied with United States accounting rules.

The New York Times

If you are a publicly traded company, you have to have a clean opinion, and the opinion always says the same thing.

The New York Times

A former Anglo Irish banker said that external auditors gave "a clean opinion" on the bank's end of year accounts in December 2008.

The Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

The Big Four audit firms consistently gave clean opinions to even the most egregious frauds.

HuffPost

Ernst & Young's clean tax opinion, Mr. Kleinbard wrote, was based solely on representations made by Fairfax.

The New York Times

He also signed the clean auditing opinion on Tyco's annual financial statement and made presentations to the board.

The New York Times

Fairfax received a clean tax opinion from Ernst & Young on the deal, but Bank of America has done no other deals of this kind.

The New York Times

How convenient: Client A, using a 6.5percentt rate, receives a clean audit opinion -- and so does client B, which opts for an 11percentt rate.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "clean opinion" in financial contexts, ensure it's clear you're referring to an auditor's judgment that the financial statements are presented fairly in all material respects.

Common error

Avoid assuming that a "clean opinion" implies absolute perfection. It only means the financial statements are free of material misstatements, not necessarily minor inaccuracies.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "clean opinion" functions as a noun phrase acting as a complement to verbs like 'give', 'issue', or 'receive'. It denotes a specific type of auditor's report, as Ludwig AI suggests.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Science

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "clean opinion" is a phrase commonly used in the world of finance and auditing. It signifies an auditor's unqualified assessment that a company's financial statements present a fair and accurate view of its financial position, free from material misstatements. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. The phrase finds frequent application in news reports, formal business documents, and academic literature, reflecting its professional nature. When writing, remember that a "clean opinion" doesn't guarantee perfection, only the absence of significant errors. Alternatives include "unqualified audit opinion" or "unmodified opinion".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unqualified audit opinion

Replaces "clean" with "unqualified", emphasizing the lack of reservations in the audit.

unmodified opinion

Uses "unmodified" to indicate that the auditor's opinion has no qualifications.

favorable opinion

Uses "favorable" to describe the positive nature of the opinion.

positive assessment

Replaces "opinion" with "assessment" to broaden the context beyond auditing.

clear audit report

Substitutes "clean opinion" with the more descriptive "clear audit report".

satisfactory audit opinion

Uses "satisfactory" to convey that the audit met the required standards.

compliant audit

Focuses on the compliance aspect of the audit, suggesting adherence to standards.

sound judgment

Uses 'sound judgment' indicating a reliable and positive evaluation.

positive feedback

Replaces 'opinion' with 'feedback', applicable in broader evaluation scenarios.

good standing

Implies a positive evaluation, indicating the subject meets required standards.

FAQs

What does a "clean opinion" mean in auditing?

In auditing, a "clean opinion" signifies that an auditor believes a company's financial statements are fairly presented in all material respects, conforming with the applicable accounting standards.

What happens if an auditor doesn't issue a "clean opinion"?

If an auditor cannot issue a "clean opinion", they might issue a qualified opinion, an adverse opinion, or a disclaimer of opinion, depending on the severity and pervasiveness of the issues found.

What are some alternatives to saying "clean opinion"?

You can use alternatives like "unqualified audit opinion", "unmodified opinion", or "favorable opinion" to convey a similar meaning.

Is a "clean opinion" a guarantee of financial soundness?

No, a "clean opinion" doesn't guarantee a company's future financial soundness. It only reflects the auditor's assessment of the financial statements at a specific point in time.