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

: accountable, answerable

I stand accountant for as great a sin

—William Shakespeare

Examples of accountant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

California State Controller primary election results The California State Controller is the state's chief accountant, maintaining the state's financial condition and conducting audits on state funds. —Noe Padilla, USA Today, 2 June 2026

Thomson Reuters is deploying it to help lawyers, tax accountants, and trade professionals work faster. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026

When an accountant builds an AI workflow in a general-purpose tool, the logic lives in their session. —Mike Whitmire, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Who is correct, the IRS agent or my accountant? —Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 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