auditor
gb/ˈɔdɪtɚ/ us/ˈɔdɪtɚ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
business
B2
role
1
Official examiner of accounts
A person who checks a company's accounts or records to make sure they are correct.
Usage pattern:
[an] auditor for/of [an organization]; [internal/external] auditor
Common mistake:
An auditor usually checks records; an accountant may prepare or manage them.
Synonyms
examiner (Broader; someone who checks documents, work, or performance.)
|
inspector (Broader; often suggests regulatory or physical inspection.)
|
accountant (Related, but an accountant may prepare accounts rather than independently check them.)
Antonyms
auditee (The person or organization being audited.)
Collocations
external auditor
|internal auditor
|independent auditor
|financial auditor
|statutory auditor
|tax auditor
|government auditor
|auditor's report
|auditor's findings
|meet with the auditor
Themes
business
|finance
|accounting
|compliance
Examples
- The auditor checked the company's accounts before the annual report was published.
- An independent auditor found weaknesses in the charity's financial controls.
- The board asked the internal auditor to review the purchasing process.
Learner examples
- The auditor checked our accounts.
- The company hired an auditor.
Noun
C1
role
2
Noncredit class attendee
Someone who goes to a class but does not get a grade or credit for it.
Usage pattern:
[someone] attends [a class/course] as an auditor
Common mistake:
Do not confuse this with the business meaning; in education, an auditor is a noncredit attendee.
Synonyms
noncredit student (Clearer and more explicit; emphasizes that no academic credit is received.)
|
visitor (Less formal; may not imply official permission.)
Antonyms
enrolled student (A student officially taking the course, often for credit or a grade.)
|
credit student (A student who receives academic credit for the course.)
Collocations
course auditor
|class auditor
|student auditor
|auditor status
|attend as an auditor
|register as an auditor
|sit in as an auditor
Themes
education
|university
Examples
- Retired residents can register as auditors in some university courses.
- Auditors may attend lectures, but they do not take exams or receive grades.
- She took the history seminar as an auditor because she was interested in the topic.
Learner examples
- She attended the art class as an auditor.
- Auditors can listen to the lectures but do not get grades.
Noun
formal
C2
role
3
Formal word for listener
A formal word for someone who listens.
Usage pattern:
[an] auditor of [a speech/performance/story]
Common mistake:
In everyday English, use listener or audience member; auditor usually means someone who checks accounts.
Synonyms
listener (The normal everyday word.)
|
hearer (Formal or technical, especially in linguistics.)
|
audience member (More concrete; one person in an audience.)
Antonyms
speaker (The person producing the spoken message rather than listening to it.)
Collocations
attentive auditor
|sympathetic auditor
|auditor of a lecture
|speaker and auditor
|reader or auditor
Themes
communication
|public_speaking
|literature
Examples
- The storyteller watched her auditors to see whether the joke had landed.
- In rhetoric, an auditor is the person who receives and interprets a spoken message.
- The lecture was designed to make each auditor feel directly addressed.
Learner examples
- In most situations, say listener instead of auditor.
Grammar
Dictionary form
auditor
IPA
GB/ˈɔdɪtɚ/
US/ˈɔdɪtɚ/
Syllables & stress
aud - it - or (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (aud)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: auditor
- Plural: auditors
Expressions
auditor general
1/ˈɔdɪtɚ d͡ʒˈɛnɚəl/
fixed phrase
formal
Senior government spending auditor
A high-level government official who checks how public money is used.
Examples
- The Auditor General criticized the ministry's record-keeping.
- A report from the auditor general found waste in the infrastructure program.
- Parliament asked the Auditor General to review the agency's spending.
auditor's report
1/ˈɔdɪtɚz ɹɪpˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
business
Official audit findings document
The written report produced by an auditor.
Examples
- The auditor's report noted several problems with the company's internal controls.
- Investors read the auditor's report before approving the financial statements.
- The annual accounts included an independent auditor's report.
external auditor
1/ɪkstˈɚnəl ˈɔdɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
business
Outside independent auditor
An auditor from outside the company.
Examples
- The company appointed an external auditor to review its annual accounts.
- External auditors must be able to question management's figures.
- The external auditor issued a clean opinion on the financial statements.
internal auditor
1/ɪntˈɚnəl ˈɔdɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
business
Auditor inside an organization
An auditor who works inside the organization they check.
Examples
- She works as an internal auditor for a bank.
- The internal auditor reviewed the company's expense claims.
- Management asked the internal auditor to assess the new payment system.
it auditor
1/ˈɪt ˈɔdɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
Auditor of information systems
An auditor who checks computer systems and technology controls.
Examples
- The IT auditor reviewed who had access to customer data.
- An IT auditor identified weaknesses in the company's backup procedures.
- The bank hired IT auditors to test its cybersecurity controls.
night auditor
1/nˈaɪt ˈɔdɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
business
Overnight hotel accounts clerk
A hotel worker who works at night and checks the day's accounts.
Examples
- He works as a night auditor at a downtown hotel.
- The night auditor checked in late guests and balanced the day's receipts.
- The hotel posted a vacancy for a night auditor.
quality auditor
1/kwˈɑləti ˈɔdɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
Checker of quality standards
An auditor who checks whether work or products meet quality rules.
Examples
- The quality auditor checked whether the factory followed its safety procedures.
- A quality auditor reviewed the supplier's production records.
- The company hired a quality auditor before applying for certification.
tax auditor
1/tˈæks ˈɔdɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
business
Examiner of tax records
An auditor who checks whether taxes were reported and paid correctly.
Examples
- A tax auditor asked the restaurant to provide three years of receipts.
- The tax auditor found that several deductions were not supported by records.
- She answered questions from the tax auditor during the review.