Jump To:

• bean counter
  bean counter

  noun

  an accountant or other financial officer, often one placing undue importance on spending, financial accountability, and profit, or anyone regarded as having a reductively quantitative focus.
• bean-counter
  bean-counter

  noun

  an accountant

bean counter

American  

[been koun-ter] / ˈbin ˌkaʊn tər /

Or bean-counter

noun

Sometimes Disparaging.

1. an accountant or other financial officer, often one placing undue importance on spending, financial accountability, and profit, or anyone regarded as having a reductively quantitative focus.

   If it were up to the bean counters, this company would never take risks or innovate.

---

bean-counter British  

noun

1. informal an accountant

---

Etymology

Origin of bean counter

An Americanism first recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bean counter bean-counter

Mr. Glassman might be an effective bean counter, but that is not nearly enough to justify his having a seat on the Maryland Board of Public Works.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 21, 2022

It would not bother me in the least to give my niece the higher amount, because I’m not a bean counter.

From Slate ● May 26, 2021

Young running backs sell jerseys, spur the fantasy industry, provide thrills and inspire dreams; it’s hard to criticize their big paydays without sounding like a grouchy, myopic bean counter.

From New York Times ● Sep. 16, 2020

There no bean counter with a backbone stiff enough to hold the reins.

From Washington Times ● May 23, 2019

A Louisville native, he earned degrees in finance and accounting at Western Kentucky University and wanted nothing more than to be a bean counter.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2017

An accountant who had to keep his day job during the tough Depression years, many say the dour, dogged Reshevsky played chess like the conscientious bean-counter he was.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 10, 2018

That doesn’t mean you have to become a bean-counter who tallies every single act of friendship and doesn’t make a move until someone moves a point ahead.

From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2017

Medical doctors are raging against the arbitrary patient surveys and bean-counter intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship.

From New York Times ● May 19, 2017

Cullinan had a complete set of envelopes on one side of the stage, while Martha Ruiz, another PwC bean-counter, had a duplicate set on the other.

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2017

Her new role is tricky: part bureaucrat, part bean-counter, all cheerleader.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2016