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

Preparers, which include staff accountants, AP and AR specialists and bookkeepers, do the hands-on work like entering data, generating reports and journal entries and closing the books. — Gregg Mojica, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Troughton is a seasoned public company executive and chartered accountant. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Before opening the ice cream shop, Rowland and Jackson served in the Navy and worked as accountants. — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Determining tax on transactions involving digital assets is a notoriously difficult exercise, often much more so than for traditional financial assets like stocks and bonds, according to accountants. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 5 Aug. 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