accountant

1 of 2

noun

ac·​coun·​tant ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊnt 

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

ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊn(t)-ˌship 

noun

accountant

2 of 2

adjective

obsolete

: accountable, answerable

I stand accountant for as great a sin

—William Shakespeare

Examples of accountant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Indeed, the only character from The Office that actually carried over into the new series is Oscar, who serves as the lead accountant for Softees but gets dragooned into reporting and constructing Sudokus for the paper. —Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025

The Star Wars actor played the accountant father of Tom Hiddleston's titular dance enthusiast, Chuck. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025

These guidelines have helped Manuylov teach a wide variety of students, ranging from a 65-year-old accountant to a 22-year-old young man with cerebral palsy. —Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

The information provided by Diversified, LLC should not be a substitute for consulting a qualified tax advisor, accountant, or other professional concerning the application of tax law or an individual tax situation. —Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

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

Phrases Containing accountant

• certified public accountant
• chartered accountant
• cost accountant
• turf accountant

Kids Definition

accountant

noun

ac·​coun·​tant

ə-ˈkau̇nt-ᵊnt

: a person professionally trained in accounting