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

Going forward, writing code won’t be restricted to those with a particular title; everyone including lawyers, accountants, and doctors will develop software. —IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025

Along with Chapman, Sugarman, a chartered accountant, relinquished his role as a non-executive director of the board in June 2024. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025

At some point in the 1990s, Pynchon started becoming a bit more public, befriended the band Lotion as a fan, through their accountant. —Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025

Meanwhile, Klementina Gjoka has joined the company as management accountant. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Oct. 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