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

Beyond serving as an incentive and accountability mechanism in the human academic research ecosystem, there are commercial incentives for discovery, and credit plays a different role in that setting. — Jeffrey S. Flier, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026

Some require empathy, institutional knowledge, ethical reasoning or explicit human accountability. — Rahul Saluja, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Patterson said on his campaign website his priorities include pushing for local rather than state control, strengthening criminal accountability, securing funding for infrastructure and protecting homeowners from rising property tax rates. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Does the current governance structure provide sufficient oversight and accountability? — Dr. Matthew Warshauer, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

accountable + -ity

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above