accountant
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived 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 ”
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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.
A licensed certified public accountant, Mejia is a member of the Green Party and does not accept endorsements from political parties or politicians.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
In her case, the Crown accountant agreed a payback amount of £66.36.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Before deciding to leave your job, talk to an accountant or financial adviser about income-management strategies and the expected costs of enrolling through the ACA Marketplace.
From MarketWatch • May 30, 2026
“It was so melodious, and I found it different from the music I heard before,” said the 59-year-old retired accountant in Shanghai, who sometimes finds herself humming it randomly.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
But whenever I visited any of the battlefields, I felt like I was greeted as if I were a nosy accountant conducting an audit and someone was trying to hide the books.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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.
