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

Together, a collaborative effort can create meaningful operational changes, including improved staffing, hospital-wide throughput initiatives, earlier discharge planning, expanded post-acute care resources, and greater accountability from leadership. —Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026

Schools routinely demand rules and accountability until those rules apply to their own athletes. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2026

Different systems create accountability in different ways. —Nisha Narayanan, STAT, 5 June 2026

The appellate ruling, hailed by some first responders and decried by racial justice advocates, intensifies Colorado’s debate over what accountability looks like when a Black person dies after a police encounter. —Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

accountable + -ity

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above