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
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2025
And while the city says a record number of Open Streets sites are set to launch this year, the comptroller’s report found the number of them has dropped from 326 in 2021 to 232 in 2024.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 May 2025
The comptroller general planned to file criminal charges with the attorney general and brief the Panama Maritime Authority, which oversees the ports and has the power to terminate the contract.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Apr. 2025
Current beep Mark Levine is not seeking reelection, instead running for city comptroller.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for comptroller
Cite this Entry
“Comptroller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comptroller. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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comptroller
noun
käm(p)-
Legal Definition
comptroller
noun
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