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

Some 340,000 accountants have already left their calculators behind and quit in the past five years, and some estimates suggest that 75% of those remaining are expected to exit in the next decade. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

He was first found guilty four years ago of ignoring accountants' warnings and knowingly exceeding campaign spending limits in an effort to sway voters. —Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025

Moon was the accountant for the Savannah R-III School District starting in 2018, the plea agreement said. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 26 Nov. 2025

Born in Harbin, China, and raised in Ontario, Canada, Liu worked as an accountant before transitioning into entertainment, getting his start as an extra and stunt performer. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 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