auditor

noun

au·​di·​tor ˈȯ-də-tər How to pronounce auditor (audio)
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 State auditors found there were 134 cybersecurity incidents in the last fiscal year, according to a report presented to lawmakers on Friday. Neal Earley, arkansasonline.com, 15 Oct. 2024 State auditor Diana DiZoglio is on a mission to see inside the financial books of the Legislature, an odyssey that's bringing her from one side of the state to another — on foot. Mike Deehan, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024 The previous occupant of the House 28th seat, Rep. Jessica Miranda, a Democrat from Forest Park, left in April to become the Hamilton County auditor. Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2024 Community college students Their tuition is lower, but only 1 in 5 who intend to transfer to UC and CSU schools in four years can, due to bureaucracy and varying requirements, California’s state auditor finds. Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for auditor 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'auditor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of auditor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near auditor

Cite this Entry

“Auditor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auditor. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

auditor

noun
au·​di·​tor ˈȯd-ət-ər How to pronounce auditor (audio)
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 How to pronounce auditor (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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