account for (something)
phrasal verb
accounted for (something); accounting for (something); accounts for (something)
1
: to give a reason or explanation for (something)
How do you account for your success?
2
: to be the cause of (something)
These new features account for the computer's higher price.
3
: to make up or form (a part of something)
Women account for only 25 percent of our employees.
4
US
: to think about (something) before doing something : to take (something) into consideration
The researchers failed to account for the fact that most of the students were poor.
Examples of account for (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In addition, his boss demanded that Barnett sign off on a similar report that would erase responsibility to account for another 400 defective components.
—
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
By carefully tracking this drift, the researchers are able to automatically adjust the transformation matrix to account for the error.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Apr. 2024
Lidl and Aldi combined now account for 18% of the UK’s grocery market.
—Jennifer Creery, Fortune Europe, 23 Apr. 2024
The situation might not improve markedly in 2024 with approximately $10 million in Pac-12 distributions withheld from each campus to account for the Comcast overpayment scandal and the settlement with Washington State and Oregon State.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Stone would later clarify that while the company was allowing more violent speech on its platforms to account for frustration in Ukraine at a violent invasion, any calls for violence against Russian civilians were still strictly banned.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Because Chinese imports account for less than 1 percent of steel in the U.S., the White House doesn't anticipate an impact on inflation, which has remained stubborn in recent months.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Ground-level junior suites (which account for 40 of the 72 rooms) have patios that lead just a few steps from the sandy shores of the property.
—Jasmine Grant, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
The symplectic space only has to account for the spacecraft’s position and velocity, since Jupiter and Europa’s motion can be easily described.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
By carefully tracking this drift, the researchers are able to automatically adjust the transformation matrix to account for the error.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Apr. 2024
Lidl and Aldi combined now account for 18% of the UK’s grocery market.
—Jennifer Creery, Fortune Europe, 23 Apr. 2024
The situation might not improve markedly in 2024 with approximately $10 million in Pac-12 distributions withheld from each campus to account for the Comcast overpayment scandal and the settlement with Washington State and Oregon State.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Stone would later clarify that while the company was allowing more violent speech on its platforms to account for frustration in Ukraine at a violent invasion, any calls for violence against Russian civilians were still strictly banned.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Because Chinese imports account for less than 1 percent of steel in the U.S., the White House doesn't anticipate an impact on inflation, which has remained stubborn in recent months.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Ground-level junior suites (which account for 40 of the 72 rooms) have patios that lead just a few steps from the sandy shores of the property.
—Jasmine Grant, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
The symplectic space only has to account for the spacecraft’s position and velocity, since Jupiter and Europa’s motion can be easily described.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'account for (something).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near account for (something)
Cite this Entry
“Account for (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/account%20for%20%28something%29. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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