auditor
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person who checks the financial records of a company to make sure they are correct and legal.
a professional qualified to conduct an official examination of an individual's or organisation's accounts.
Simple“The company hired an external auditor to check their tax records.”
In context“The independent auditor discovered several discrepancies in the quarterly reports that the internal accounting team had overlooked.”
UsageOften used with 'internal' or 'external' to describe the relationship to the company.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a student who attends a university course to learn but does not take exams or get a grade.
a person who attends an academic course for personal interest rather than for credit or a degree.
Simple“He joined the history class as an auditor because he just wanted to learn.”
In context“While the registered students were required to submit weekly essays, the auditor was permitted to simply observe the lectures and participate in discussions.”
Synonymslistenerguest student - 03 C2 Proficiency
a person who listens to something, such as a speech or a performance.
a person who hears or listens; a member of an audience.
Simple“The speaker looked at his auditors to see if they understood his point.”
In context“The poet addressed his silent auditors with a voice that carried to the very back of the hall.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern English; 'listener' or 'audience member' is preferred in almost all contemporary contexts.
Synonymslistenerhearer
“The official added that “early signs of improvement in that situation” were visible, although the auditors did not have complete data to draw conclusions.”
From Anglo-Norman auditour, from Latin audītor (“hearer, auditor”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.