accountant

1 of 2

noun

ac·​coun·​tant ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊnt 

1

: one that gives an account or is accountable

2

: one who is skilled in the practice of accounting or who is in charge of public or private accounts

accountantship

ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊn(t)-ˌship 

noun

accountant

2 of 2

adjective

obsolete

: subject to give account or liable to be called to account : accountable, answerable

I stand accountant for as great a sin …

—William Shakespeare

Examples of accountant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Attorney, accountant, and CPS parent Victor Henderson wants to break away from politics in Chicago's schools. — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Without guidance, taxpayers, businesses, accountants and other stakeholders might treat these contracts differently. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Born and raised in Latin America, Jose was educated as an accountant and worked for investment banks before founding a wildly successful private equity firm. — Christina Wing, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

And then there is the captivating presence of a handsome and flirtatious accountant called Nicholas. — Malcolm Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English accomptaunt, accountant "official in charge of accounts," borrowed from Anglo-French acomptant, noun derivative of accountaunt, present participle of acunter, acompter "to account entry 2"

Adjective

Middle English accomptaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French accountaunt, from present participle of acunter, acompter "to account entry 2"

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing accountant

• certified public accountant
• chartered accountant
• cost accountant
• turf accountant

Kids Definition

accountant

noun

ac·​coun·​tant

ə-ˈkau̇nt-ᵊnt

: a person professionally trained in accounting