accountant
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
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:
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."
Vocabulary lists containing accountant
Tax Day Words
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"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
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Exemptions, Deductions, and Loopholes: Tax Day Vocabulary
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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.
They don’t prepare taxes, but can help organize documents for a client’s accountant.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
Oyler, an accountant who lives in Westwood, supports upzoning large parts of the 5th District and other parts of the city, saying it will help address both high housing costs and the homelessness crisis.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Michelle Collins, an accountant who works downtown, said it doesn’t make sense someone would remove their trousers at town hall to clean them off.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Fatone admits that his accountant was likely unaware that his regular stream of income was about to be shut off, almost overnight.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
He said that he had no use for a wagon in the real world where he was an accountant.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
