SINCE 1828
accountability
noun
ac·count·abil·i·ty
| \ ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
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Definition of accountability
: the quality or state of being accountable
especially
: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions
public officials lacking accountability
Examples of accountability in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anat also recommends grabbing an accountability partner, or someone who can participate in the challenge with you. — Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "The 52-Week Money Challenge Is an Easy Way to Save Almost $1,400 This Year," 9 Jan. 2019 Sharing these #MeToo stories is one thing, but without accountability, survivors may as well be talking to an empty courtroom. — refinery29.com, "This Is 13 Reasons Why's Scene That Honors #MeToo," 30 May 2018 Labor unions and regional newspapers that once demanded accountability have shuttered or diminished. — Livia Gershon, Longreads, "More than Make-Work," 22 May 2018 Greater victim support leads to greater offender accountability. — Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee County law enforcement agencies sign new protocol for sex assault cases," 1 May 2018 The reason there can’t be true accountability for individuals like Kevin Hart is because the privileged individuals mostly addressing him aren’t the ones directly impacted — the black LGBTQ community. — Ernest Owens, Vox, "What it’s like to be black and gay watching the Kevin Hart controversy unfold.," 7 Jan. 2019 Scott also praised law enforcement for responding to natural disasters and mass shootings, but took a sideswipe at his opponent, incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson, for not demanding more accountability at the FBI. — Gray Rohrer, Sun-Sentinel.com, "South Florida sheriffs aren't on Scott's endorsement list," 11 June 2018 Mallos says individual accountability is threefold. — Tabor Wordelman, Teen Vogue, "You Can't Just "Clean Up" the Plastic in the Ocean. Here's Why.," 18 Dec. 2018 This is a critical moment of accountability in the #MeToo movement. — Brian Flood, Fox News, "Spotlight on '60 Minutes' honcho Jeff Fager as CBS cleans house," 10 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accountability.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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