: a person who hears something (such as a court case) in the capacity of judge
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The auditing of a company's financial records by independent examiners on a regular basis is necessary to prevent "cooking the books", and thus to keep the company honest. We don't normally think of auditors as listening, since looking at and adding up numbers is their basic line of work, but auditors do have to listen to people's explanations, and perhaps that's the historical link. Hearing is more obviously part of another meaning of audit, the kind that college students do when they sit in on a class without taking exams or receiving an official grade.
Examples of auditor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAn analysis by an independent third-party auditor of all equipment.—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 16 May 2024 Akashi, who is also an auditor, worked for the Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau for many years.—Bychris Morris, Fortune, 10 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for auditor
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'auditor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English auditour "hearer, listener, official who examines and verifies accounts," borrowed from Anglo-French auditur, auditour, borrowed from Medieval Latin audītor "hearer, hearer of pleas (in court or Parliament), official who examines accounts," going back to Latin, "hearer, listener, disciple," from audīre "to hear" + -tor, agent suffix — more at audible entry 1
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