certified public accountant

noun

: an accountant who has met the requirements of a state law and has been granted a certificate

Examples of certified public accountant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At least six members of the 11-person governing board, including the managing partner, would need to be certified public accountants to comply with regulatory requirements. Mark Maurer, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023 Some do not have certified public accountants on staff and rely instead on lawyers, offshore workers or software to crunch the numbers. Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 26 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of certified public accountant was in 1896

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Cite this Entry

“Certified public accountant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certified%20public%20accountant. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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