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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived 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 ”

Compare meaning

How does accountant compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• actuary vs. accountant

Explanation

An accountant is a person whose job involves keeping financial records for a business. To be a great accountant, you've got to be good at math. When a company hires an accountant, it turns over the management of its accounts to that person, who is responsible for keeping track of spending, income, and any other financial information. An accountant is also held accountable for the accuracy of a company's books, and usually has to be officially certified before working in the field. The word comes from account, by way of the Old French aconter, "to count."

Example Sentences

Certified Public Accountant Jamie Trull told MarketWatch she hired her own children as models for her business’ content and videos when they were ages 7 and 10, “but I wish I would have started earlier.”

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Prior to becoming a reporter, Cara worked as a Certified Public Accountant at PwC auditing banks and asset managers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Accountant Joseph Manley, 40, told the BBC that Trump should have been properly briefed before meeting Liberia's leader.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

Three movies came out just last month that follow this American monomyth: "The Amateur," "The Accountant 2" and "A Working Man."

From Salon • May 26, 2025

I am broker to the Accountant General of the Court of Chancery.

From The Trial of Charles Random de Berenger, Sir Thomas Cochrane, commonly called Lord Cochrane, the Hon. Andrew Cochrane Johnstone, Richard Gathorne Butt, Ralph Sandom, Alexander M'Rae, John Peter Holloway, and Henry Lyte for A Conspiracy In the Court of King's Bench, Guildhall, on Wednesday the 8th, and Thursday the 9th of June, 1814 by Gurney, William Brodie

Related Words

• actuary
• analyst
• auditor
• bookkeeper
• clerk