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
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 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 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

accountant

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

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