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

Current president Shuntaro Furakawa joined the company in 1994 as an accountant. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025

Kimberly Younger, an accountant for Certified Brands and Electronics Row who is respected by Kevin Semcken as well as his sons, testified that the elder Semcken did use company funds to pay alimony to his ex-wife as well as for golf packages, ski passes and an auto loan. —Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025

The 35-year-old man, who works as a forensic accountant, shared on Reddit that his wife Elena’s younger sister, Natasha, 29, has been a constant financial drain for years. —Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

To make things worse, Monty’s accountant, Alan, is ducking Cami’s calls. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2025

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