accountable

play

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

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accountableness

play \-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl-nəs\ noun

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accountably

play \-blē\ adverb

See accountable defined for English-language learners

See accountable defined for kids

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 of accountable from the Web

One particular law designed to make the VA more accountable is arguably the most consequential legislation President Trump has signed so far.

— jim geraghty, National Review, "Trump’s VA Secretary Is Off to a Fast Start," 13 July 2017
Individual members of the Russian government had been singled out for sanctions under the Magnitsky Act, an attempt to hold accountable those involved in the murder of a Russian whistleblower.

— The Economist, "Donald Trump junior’s e-mails," 13 July 2017
Since then, Airbnb has made several efforts to improve its racial-discrimination problem by holding hosts accountable to a nondiscrimination policy.

— madison sherman, The Root, "Airbnb Host Pushes Black Woman Down Stairs After Late Checkout," 12 July 2017
Nationally, there is a move afoot to hold schools accountable for what high school students do after graduation.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "No plan, no diploma: Chicago students will have a new graduation requirement," 3 July 2017
In a 2016 study, bloggers reported that sharing their progress online helped them stay focused on their goals, kept them accountable, and led to social support.

— anthea levi, Health.com, "Why Tracking Your Weight Loss on Social Media (Like Ciara) Can Actually Help," 30 June 2017
State officials said the independent auditor will be accountable to the Maryland State Department of Education, and its findings will be made public.

— erin cox, baltimoresun.com, "State to investigate allegations of grade tampering in Prince George's," 28 June 2017
Fail and be held accountable by a conservative base that for years has been promised that Obamacare would be gone once the GOP held power.

— dan balz, chicagotribune.com, "Once a unifier, undoing Obamacare is now an albatross around the GOP's neck," 27 June 2017
In the weeks after the 2015 shooting, former U.S. Attorney David Capp announced that his office joined the investigation, promising to hold those responsible accountable.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "'As long as I live, she will live': Benefit to remember Hammond teen shot dead 2 years ago," 22 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of accountable

Middle English accountable, accomptable, borrowed from Anglo-French acomptable, from acunter "to ²account" + -able -able

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First Known Use: 15th century

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accountable Synonyms

Synonyms

responsible, amenable, answerable, liable

Antonyms

irresponsible, nonaccountable, unaccountable

Related Words

beholden, indebted, obligated, obliged

Near Antonyms

exempt, immune

Synonym Discussion of 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

ACCOUNTABLE Defined for English Language Learners

accountable

play

adjective

Definition of accountable for English Language Learners

: required to explain actions or decisions to someone
: required to be responsible for something

ACCOUNTABLE Defined for Kids

accountable

adjective ac·count·able \ ə-ˈkȧun-tə-bəl \

Definition of accountable for Students

1 :required to explain actions or decisions

The mayor is accountable to the city's residents.

2 :responsible 1

You're accountable for your mistakes.

Law Dictionary

accountable

play

adjective ac·count·able \ ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl \

legal Definition of accountable

1 :liable

accountable for the burglary

2 :obliged to accept responsibility

the bank accountable for payment of the check

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accountability

play \ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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See words that rhyme with accountable Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accountable Spanish Central: Translation of accountable Nglish: Translation of accountable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of accountable for Arabic speakers

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accountable

Definition of accountable

accountableness

accountably

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Examples of accountable in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of accountable

accountable Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of accountable

ACCOUNTABLE Defined for English Language Learners

accountable

Definition of accountable for English Language Learners

ACCOUNTABLE Defined for Kids

accountable

Definition of accountable for Students

Law Dictionary

accountable

legal Definition of accountable

accountability

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