accountant

[uh-koun-tnt]

noun

1. a person whose profession is inspecting and auditing personal or commercial accounts and providing financial advice to the account holders.

accountant

/ 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

• accountantship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of accountant¹

First recorded in 1425–75; account + -ant; replacing late Middle English accomptant, from Middle French, Old French acuntant, present participle of acunter “to account ”

Example Sentences

Hall said earlier this year that he learned from the experience and had held his accountant responsible for the error.

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“A forensic accountant is invaluable in helping with this process by utilizing various accounting and investigative techniques.”

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They don’t have the funds to hire high-caliber lawyers and accountants to work their way around America’s notoriously complicated tax code.

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Be careful not to push yourself into a higher tax bracket, which a qualified financial planner or accountant can help you avoid.

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Someone’s job, usually junior accountants, is to look for where there’s a bigger deviation than expected.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• actuary 
• analyst 
• auditor 
• bookkeeper www.thesaurus.com
• clerk