accountable

adjective

ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl 

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

accountableness

ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl-nəs 

noun

accountably

ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of accountable

• responsible
• liable

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

Gaza will also need to deradicalize, which means healing minds poisoned by decades of hatred and fear; to democratize, which entails restoring legitimate and accountable institutions; and to develop a functioning economy that can replace despair with dignity. —Samer Sinijlawi, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025

Undermining the state means you will be held accountable. —Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

That month, Massie told ABC News that those who might be in the Epstein files—regardless of stature—should be held accountable. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 13 Nov. 2025

The outcome offered further evidence that prioritizing short-term stability over democratic values and accountable governance can invite long-term reversals, a trend that Washington and New Delhi would do well to reckon with. —Muhib Rahman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for accountable

• countable
• demountable
• uncountable
• insurmountable
• unaccountable

Kids Definition

accountable

adjective

ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇nt-ə-bəl 

1

: responsible for giving an account (as of one's acts)

will be held accountable

2

: capable of being accounted for : explainable

accountability

-ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

accountably

-ˈkau̇nt-ə-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

accountable

adjective

ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl 

1

: liable

accountable for the burglary

2

: obliged to accept responsibility

the bank accountable for payment of the check

accountability

ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun