comptroller
noun
Did you know?
If you think "comptroller" looks like a mistaken spelling of "controller," you're partially right. Today, "comptroller" is an established word that shares one of its meanings (sense 3) with "controller." The term did originate as a misspelling, however. Around the 15th century, Middle English speakers altered the spelling of "conterroller" (meaning "controller," from the Middle French contrerolleur) under the influence of the Middle French word compte ("account"). The resulting word, "comptroller," has attracted criticism over the years. Grammarian Henry Fowler condemned "comptroller" as "not merely archaic, but erroneous" in 1920, and a lexicographical column from 1931 agreed that "comptroller" is "erroneous and should not be accepted as correct." Nevertheless, such modern institutions as colleges and governments continue to have comptrollers. "Comptrollership" occasionally turns up as well.
Examples of comptroller in a Sentence
Journal Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2024
Historically, New York has relied on its high-earning residents to help fund public efforts: In 2019, the top 1 percent of earners made up 40 percent of the city’s income-tax revenue, according to comptroller data cited by Bloomberg.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for comptroller 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comptroller.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Comptroller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comptroller. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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comptroller
noun
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comptroller
noun
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