auditor
Americannoun
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auditors
plural
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a person appointed and authorized to examine accounts and accounting records, compare the charges with the vouchers, verify balance sheet and income items, and state the result.
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a university student registered for a course without credit and without obligation to do work assigned to the class.
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a hearer; listener.
noun
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a person qualified to audit accounts
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a person who hears or listens
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a registered student who attends a class that is not an official part of his course of study, without actively participating it
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of auditor
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English auditour, from Anglo-French, from Latin audītor “hearer,” from audī(re) “to hear” + -tor -tor
Explanation
An auditor is someone who inspects accounting records. Don’t cheat on your taxes, or an auditor might come and check your figures. An auditor is also an attentive listener. That kind is usually more fun. The word auditor is Latin for “hearer.” This word still applies to someone who listens closely, but it also refers to a kind of accountant who checks the financial records of other people, usually to make sure nothing illegal is going on. If the Internal Revenue Service demands an audit, an auditor will go over your financial records with a fine-toothed comb. This process used to be done verbally, so both kinds of auditors need good hearing.
Vocabulary lists containing auditor
Common Senses: Aud ("Hear")
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aud
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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.
See Examples For:
If the auditor is not happy with what a company proposes, the commission can ask for "corrective measures".
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
"I don't know where she is or how she is. My wife is an auditor and I have no issues with anyone," he was quoted by Nyasa Times as saying.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
So keep good records in case the tax man comes knocking, said Moll, “and hope the auditor or the judge agrees.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The firm shared the report with its independent auditor, which issued “unqualified audit opinions” giving the company’s 2024 and 2025 financials a clean bill of health, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Most notable was an exchange between Clark and John Dougall, a Republican and electrical engineer and businessman who would later become Utah’s state auditor.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
The order would also speed the implementation timelines for two California state laws establishing a framework for independent AI-verification organizations and create a state registry for AI auditors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Assembly Bill 1405 establishes a registry for AI auditors and standards for their independence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
“We strive to set the highest standards for pay and we require that all supply chain partners adhere to our code of conduct. Furthermore, Shein works with auditors to ensure compliance,” the company said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Independent auditors also suggested the party's manual journal entries and related party transactions remained at "heightened risk of fraud".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Milton wore them whenever he met with bank loan officers or auditors from the IRS.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.