accountant

1 of 2

noun

ac·​coun·​tant ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊnt How to pronounce accountant (audio)
1
: one that gives an account or is accountable
2
: one who is skilled in the practice of accounting or who is in charge of public or private accounts
accountantship
ə-ˈkau̇n-tᵊn(t)-ˌship How to pronounce accountant (audio)
noun

accountant

2 of 2

adjective

obsolete
: subject to give account or liable to be called to account : accountable, answerable
I stand accountant for as great a sin …—William Shakespeare

Examples of accountant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
There is a tension between accountants resistant to adopting these tools and companies trying to grow without adding the same amount of overhead. — Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 After Yancy witnesses the murder of Florida’s finest fixer, an ambitious state attorney teams him up with a strait-laced forensic accountant to solve the crime. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 The local union’s members range from engineers, facility workers, accountants, inspectors, account clerks, customer service representatives and more, according to local Vice President Jennifer Olman, who is also on the contract negotiation team. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026 An accountant with a similar prescription might prefer multifocals, or reading glasses, to enable the full range of closeup work. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accountant

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English accomptaunt, accountant "official in charge of accounts," borrowed from Anglo-French acomptant, noun derivative of accountaunt, present participle of acunter, acompter "to account entry 2"

Adjective

Middle English accomptaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French accountaunt, from present participle of acunter, acompter "to account entry 2"

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accountant was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing accountant

Browse Nearby Words

accountancy
accountant
account book
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Accountant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountant. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

accountant

noun
ac·​coun·​tant
ə-ˈkau̇nt-ᵊnt
: a person professionally trained in accounting

More from Merriam-Webster on accountant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about accountant

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