comptroller

noun

comp·​trol·​ler kən-ˈtrō-lər 

ˈkäm(p)-ˌtrō-,

käm(p)-ˈtrō- 

1

: a royal-household official who examines and supervises expenditures

2

: a public official who audits government accounts and sometimes certifies expenditures

3

: controller sense 1c

comptrollership

kən-ˈtrō-lər-ˌship 

ˈkäm(p)-ˌtrō-

käm(p)-ˈtrō-

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

Recent Examples on the Web

If the property value study is off by 5% to 10%, the district enters a grace period and has two years to align property values more closely with the comptroller’s numbers. —Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2025

A number of the state’s economic growth indicators have lagged since 2017, the state comptroller’s office noted in a 2024 report, though the state’s budget has increased significantly since then. —Gary Collins, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2025

The cost of housing prison inmates in 2011 was around $81,000 a year, a figure that ballooned to more than $250,000 annually by 2021, according to data Wilson cited compiled by the state comptroller’s office. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2025

Also that year, 11 former Wells Fargo senior executives were charged by the comptroller’s office. —Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, alteration of countreroller controller

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

comptroller

noun

comp·​trol·​ler kən-ˈtrō-lər  käm(p)- 

ˈkäm(p)-ˌtrō-lər

: a public official who examines financial accounts

Legal Definition

comptroller

noun

comp·​trol·​ler kən-ˈtrō-lər, ˈkämp-ˌtrō- 

: the head accounting officer of a company or government