auditor

noun

au·​di·​tor ˈȯ-də-tər 

1

: a person authorized to examine and verify accounts

2

: one who hears or listens

especially : one who is a member of an audience

3

: a person who audits a course of study

4

: a person who hears something (such as a court case) in the capacity of judge

Did you know?

The auditing of a company's financial records by independent examiners on a regular basis is necessary to prevent "cooking the books", and thus to keep the company honest. We don't normally think of auditors as listening, since looking at and adding up numbers is their basic line of work, but auditors do have to listen to people's explanations, and perhaps that's the historical link. Hearing is more obviously part of another meaning of audit, the kind that college students do when they sit in on a class without taking exams or receiving an official grade.

Examples of auditor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the Lake County website, the auditor oversees ledgers and records affecting county funds, and oversees duties related to the assessment of property and levy and collection of property taxes, among other roles. —Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026

Newsom officials said the governor has taken a range of steps to combat hospice fraud since the auditor’s report came out, including the creation of a multiple-agency task force to address the problem and a growing number of arrests and investigations. —Andrew Graham april 26, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2026

Of the roughly 1,800 hospices operating in LA County, more than 700 have triggered multiple fraud red flags, according to state auditors. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026

The item also directs the chief auditor to conduct an audit of how purchasing cards have been used in the district for the last year and authorizes general counsel to find an outside firm to investigate. —Natalie La Roche Pietri, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English auditour "hearer, listener, official who examines and verifies accounts," borrowed from Anglo-French auditur, auditour, borrowed from Medieval Latin audītor "hearer, hearer of pleas (in court or Parliament), official who examines accounts," going back to Latin, "hearer, listener, disciple," from audīre "to hear" + -tor, agent suffix — more at audible entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

auditor

noun

au·​di·​tor ˈȯd-ət-ər 

1

: a person who listens to or hears something or someone

especially : a member of an audience

2

: a person who audits accounts

Legal Definition

auditor

noun

au·​di·​tor ˈȯ-də-tər 

1

: a person qualified and authorized to examine and verify financial records

2

: a referee appointed by a court in a civil action

especially : one designated to prepare an account for the court see also master