accountant

1 of 2

noun

ac·​coun·​tant ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊnt How to pronounce accountant (audio)
1
: one that gives an account or is accountable
2
: one who is skilled in the practice of accounting or who is in charge of public or private accounts
accountantship noun

accountant

2 of 2

adjective

obsolete
: accountable, answerable
I stand accountant for as great a sinWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of accountant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
James Quigley, a seasoned local politician, outspent an unknown accountant six-to-one. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025 Later, forensic accountants would determine that Yellow Sunshine was likely insolvent in late 2016. Martin McKenzie-Murray, SPIN, 7 Jan. 2025 Seven years ago, Aspinall was an anonymous accountant with a love for darts. Claire Moses, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 Previously an accountant, Zieha wanted to commit to serving organic, healthy food to Kansas City. Alison Booth, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for accountant 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English accomptaunt, accountant "official in charge of accounts," borrowed from Anglo-French acomptant, noun derivative of accountaunt, present participle of acunter, acompter "to account entry 2"

Adjective

Middle English accomptaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French accountaunt, from present participle of acunter, acompter "to account entry 2"

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accountant was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near accountant

Cite this Entry

“Accountant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountant. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

accountant

noun
ac·​coun·​tant
ə-ˈkau̇nt-ᵊnt
: a person professionally trained in accounting

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