comptroller
The chief accountant of a company or government.
Noun
- The chief accountant of a company or government.
- So the Comptroller and I thence to a tavern hard by, and there did agree upon drawing up some letters to be sent to all the pursers and Clerks of the Cheques to make up their accounts. - 1660 February 14 (date written;...
- The terms of the licence shall, in default of agreement, be settled by the comptroller. - 1988, Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 237
Origin
From late Middle English compteroller, a spelling variant of countreroller (from which controller) due to folk etymology: the word was thought to have an etymological connection with Middle French compte (“account”) (Middle French compteroleur is attested circa 1375). Originally the two spellings were equivalent and pronounced identically; the modern pronunciation with [mp] is based on the spelling.
Forms
Synonyms
administrator chief controller foreman head head man organiser organizer overseer superintendent supervisor