accountable

adjective

ac·count·able | \ ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl

Definition of accountable

1 : subject to giving an account : answerable held her accountable for the damage

2 : capable of being explained : explainable … leaving aside variations accountable as printer's errors …— Peter Shaw

Other Words from accountable Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about accountable

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Choose the Right Synonym for accountable

responsible, answerable, accountable, amenable, liable mean subject to being held to account. responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust. the bureau responsible for revenue collection answerable suggests a relation between one having a moral or legal obligation and a court or other authority charged with oversight of its observance. an intelligence agency answerable to Congress accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation. elected officials are accountable to the voters amenable and liable stress the fact of subjection to review, censure, or control by a designated authority under certain conditions. laws are amenable to judicial review not liable for the debts of the former spouse

Examples of accountable in a Sentence

If anything goes wrong I will hold you personally accountable! the owner was held accountable for his dog's biting of the child

Recent Examples on the Web

Those leading lawsuits in defense of the climate Youth around the world are using litigation to hold governments accountable to stop climate change and address environmental injustice. — Maia Wikler, Teen Vogue, "5 Youth-Led Climate Justice Groups Helping to Save the Environment," 28 Mar. 2019 People around her are worried and her not living in the States makes her less accountable. — Fox News, "Lindsay Lohan's publicist will 'check in' on her after video of her accusing refugee parents of trafficking: report," 30 Sep. 2018 Some activists, both inside and outside the Southern Baptist Convention, are urging the conservative denomination to go further in protecting women from abuse and making men accountable for misogyny and other mistreatment. — Daniel Burke, CNN, "'A foretaste of the wrath of God:' Southern Baptists to confront scandals at national meeting," 11 June 2018 Could this be a taste of what’s to come — a Congress where bad actors are held accountable and babies are cared for? — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "The Bad Girls' Caucus Has Been Sworn In and Congress May Never Be the Same," 3 Jan. 2019 The MH17 Disaster Foundation representing families of the victims demanded that the Dutch government take legal action to hold the Russian state accountable. — Author: Anthony Deutsch, Anchorage Daily News, "Prosecutors say Russian military supplied missile that shot down Malaysian jet," 24 May 2018 Chris Kress, who has been a gate agent at Dallas Fort Worth airport for 30 years, says at American Airlines, agents are allotted 20 minutes for boarding, and if the process takes any longer, gate agents are held accountable. — Aditi Shrikant, Vox, "Why airlines make you check your carry-on bags," 20 Dec. 2018 The two bills were meant to mitigate human trafficking by holding websites more accountable for the content on their sites, but their sweeping language has been much more effective at curbing free expression. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: The NAACP’s weeklong boycott of Facebook and Instagram begins today," 18 Dec. 2018 The Pentagon should be held accountable for waste like the $125 billion the Post reported. — Lindsay Koshgarian, Fortune, "Trump’s Complaints About NATO Defense Spending Don’t Add Up," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accountable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.