Accountant

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈkaʊn.tənt/

Definitions

1. A professional who prepares, examines, and manages financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance with laws
2. An expert responsible for maintaining and analyzing financial documents and producing reports related to business finances
3. Someone who oversees accounts, verifies financial transactions, and provides financial information for decision-making purposes

Etymology: The word "accountant" grew out of the older verb "account," which in medieval French and English meant to reckon up or count sums. The "-ant" ending came along from French, where it marked a person who performs an action, so an accountant was, quite literally, someone who does the counting. The word reached English from Middle French "acuntant" in the mid 15th century, when records of money and debts were still kept largely by hand. Its earlier forms are a reminder of how close "accountant" once sat to plain bookkeeping. The verb "account" itself is rooted in a sense of rendering or settling a reckoning, which is why the modern profession, centred on verifying records and keeping them lawful, descends from a word meaning simply one who counts.

Synonyms: bookkeeper, auditor, CPA