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accountant

American  
[uh-koun-tnt] / əˈkaʊn tnt /

noun

  1. a person whose profession is inspecting and auditing personal or commercial accounts and providing financial advice to the account holders.

accountant British  
/ əˈkaʊntənt /

noun

  1. a person concerned with the maintenance and audit of business accounts and the preparation of consultant reports in tax and finance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • accountantship noun

Etymology

Origin of accountant

First recorded in 1425–75; account + -ant; replacing late Middle English accomptant, from Middle French, Old French acuntant, present participle of acunter “to account ”

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Initially Garcia, an accountant with “Dancing with the Stars,” applied to add an ADU to his property but changed his mind because of the cost.

From Los Angeles Times

The online listing portal is now being pursued in a class action, launched by accountant Jeremy Newman on behalf of potentially hundreds of estate agents.

From BBC

He thinks he will have to pay employees overtime and add a temporary accountant to his staff of 48 to help sort through thousands of orders.

From The Wall Street Journal

For protection in these circumstances, you’re going to want to have lawyers and accountants involved to thoroughly vet the opportunities and study the contracts.

From MarketWatch

London has stables of lawyers and accountants experienced at disguising sources of wealth and who help clients obtain visas that grease the wheels of business.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.