accountability

noun

ac·​count·​abil·​i·​ty ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: the quality or state of being accountable

… the CFO has ultimate accountability for maintaining the books and records of the company …

—The Motley Fool

especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions

demanded more accountability from public officials

The … quarterback did take accountability for his play … recognizing it as an error that can't happen at this level.

—Steven Corder

Examples of accountability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet for many of the women of Capitol Hill, the moment of accountability was years in the making — and far from enough. —ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026

Republican candidate Steve Hilton said the Swalwell scandal underscores broader concerns about accountability at the highest levels of government. —Steve Large, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

In doing so, the tabloid has become an improbable fount of accountability in a political era characterized by impasse, fear, and an ad-nauseam passing of the buck. —Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026

The Seymour Police Union fully supports transparency and accountability. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

accountable + -ity

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above