accountant
Americannoun
-
accountants
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Amy’s certified public accountant wrote that the bookkeeper was under “direction to not reply or provide information” to one of Sandy’s attorneys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Retired accountant Mary-Louise Wedderburn explained the painting was left to her in her uncle's will two decades ago.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Though an accountant by trade, he began integrating into the family business and, before his father’s passing, took over the business with his brother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
"Every day, I wake up wondering whether the situation will de-escalate or worsen," said Mustafa Mohamed, a 39-year-old Sudanese accountant in the Gulf country.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Mrs. Kincaid worked on the mainland as an accountant, but sometimes did her work from home.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
In fact, the American public includes bankers, farmers, workers, traders, builders and accountants, who together spend billions of hours interacting with the government through filling out forms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
That’s why financial advisers hire tax accountants and doctors hire specialists.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
His campaign manager said Friday that accountants are still working on the new filing.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
"The forensic accountants had done their work and came out with this deep connection to African chattel enslavement. Once something is brought to the light, you can't push it back into the darkness."
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Then shining cars bring the upper classes down: superintendents, accountants, owners who disappear into offices.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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.
