bean counter
noun
usually disparaging
: a person involved in corporate or government financial decisions and especially one reluctant to spend money
Examples of bean counter in a Sentence
He blames corporate bean counters for causing thousands of workers to lose their jobs.
Recent Examples on the Web
The young bean counter had a surprising solution: Get more aggressive.
—
Christopher Helman, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
Hubble, Kepler — have been, instead of a bean counter?
—New York Times, 20 Oct. 2021
If time with a bean counter sounds like a return to the scintillating Fred Creighton days, that’s not entirely accurate, because the tidy, soft-spoken Creighton was canned as coach only seven games prior to the start of the ’80 playoffs.
—BostonGlobe.com, 21 Mar. 2021
County bean counters are calling for all departments to make 20 percent cuts across-the-board.
—Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, 10 Apr. 2020
See all Example Sentences for bean counter 
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Christopher Helman, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
Hubble, Kepler — have been, instead of a bean counter?
—New York Times, 20 Oct. 2021
If time with a bean counter sounds like a return to the scintillating Fred Creighton days, that’s not entirely accurate, because the tidy, soft-spoken Creighton was canned as coach only seven games prior to the start of the ’80 playoffs.
—BostonGlobe.com, 21 Mar. 2021
County bean counters are calling for all departments to make 20 percent cuts across-the-board.
—Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, 10 Apr. 2020
See all Example Sentences for bean counter
Dictionary Entries Near bean counter
Cite this Entry
“Bean counter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bean%20counter. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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