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
Alleged victims represented by Buzbee now account for about half of the lawsuits filed so far.
—
Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 12 May 2025
All the predictions are essentially looking at the same orbital track of Cosmos 482 and then running different models that try to account for a number of variables like space weather, atmospheric conditions, the composition of the spacecraft and other factors.
—Eric MacK, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2025
As one expert told Newsweek, the drop in Mother's Day purchases could indicate a broader decline in consumer spending, estimated to account for over two-thirds of the nation's gross domestic product.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
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Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 12 May 2025
All the predictions are essentially looking at the same orbital track of Cosmos 482 and then running different models that try to account for a number of variables like space weather, atmospheric conditions, the composition of the spacecraft and other factors.
—Eric MacK, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2025
As one expert told Newsweek, the drop in Mother's Day purchases could indicate a broader decline in consumer spending, estimated to account for over two-thirds of the nation's gross domestic product.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 20 May. 2025.
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