auditor

/ˈɔdədər/

/ˈɔdɪtə/

Other forms: auditors

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.

Definitions of auditor

1. noun

   a qualified accountant who inspects the accounting records and practices of a business or other organization
   types:

   internal auditor

   an auditor who is an employee of the company whose records are audited and who provides information to the management and board of directors

   type of:

   accountant, comptroller, controller

   someone who maintains and audits business accounts
2. noun

   someone who listens attentively
   synonyms: attender, hearer, listener

   types:

   eavesdropper

   a secret listener to private conversations

   phone tapper, tapper, wiretapper

   someone who wiretaps a telephone or telegraph wire

   type of:

   beholder, observer, perceiver, percipient

   a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses
3. noun

   a student who attends a course but does not take it for credit
   type of:

   educatee, pupil, student

   a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution