accountant
Americannoun
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Exemptions, Deductions, and Loopholes: Tax Day Vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
“I go through lots of screening calls and they go nowhere,” said Norig Karakashian, an accountant in Glendale, Calif., who’s been looking for a job for the last year and a half.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Depending on the state, their combined tax rate would be almost 40%, said Richard Pon, a San Francisco-based accountant and financial adviser.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
But what if I am just an average accountant?
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Ministers say lawyers, accountants and architects are among professionals who will benefit.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Grocery-store chain Albertsons, for example, last summer laid off some of its back-office workers and accountants in the Phoenix area and elsewhere in the U.S. and moved their jobs to the Philippines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
Suren Thiru, chief economist for chartered accountants in England and Wales body ICAEW, said the jobs figures showed there was a "growing distress within the UK's labour market".
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
That’s what friends, attorneys, accountants and financial advisers are for.
From MarketWatch ● May 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.
