accountant

1 of 2

noun

ac·​coun·​tant ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊnt How to pronounce accountant (audio)
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 noun

accountant

2 of 2

adjective

obsolete
: accountable, answerable
I stand accountant for as great a sinWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of accountant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The cofounder and accountant for a nonprofit organization that manages funds for people with special needs and disabilities have been accused of stealing as much as $100 million from clients. Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 He and his accountant, John Leo Witeck, have both been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, court records show. Christopher O'Donnell, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025 Family members who got word of the raid had already been gathering outside — a daughter whose father has been in the country for more than 20 years, the wife of an accountant at the company who stood in the parking lot teary-eyed, worried about what her children’s future would look like. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025 Horst said Street Stewards currently requires a yearly budget of $10,000 to cover website maintenance, lawyers, accountants and insurance. Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for accountant

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of accountant was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Accountant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountant. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

accountant

noun
ac·​coun·​tant
ə-ˈkau̇nt-ᵊnt
: a person professionally trained in accounting

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