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

• amenable
• answerable
• liable
• responsible

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

But lawmakers say the California State University system, which is the largest public institution in the state, needs to be held accountable. —Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024

Current and former residents of the small town near the U.S.-Canada border want BNSF held accountable for its alleged role in asbestos exposure that health officials say has killed several hundred people and sickened thousands. —Matthew Brown, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024

Jesse Prado, a former Austin police detective, said last month that officers and Uvalde Independent School District police followed policies and procedures, and they should not be held accountable. —USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024

Newsom also wants lawmakers to pass legislation that would, beginning in 2027, in effect require jurisdictions to zone housing for homeless populations and give the state another avenue to hold local governments accountable for reducing homelessness. —Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

True-crime shows — whether scripted or documentary — are almost always depressing, but seeing the perpetrators caught and held accountable can make the experience more bearable. —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024

Senate Republicans have been divided on how to best influence the process from their relatively powerless position in the minority; some have agitated for an opportunity to hold Democrats accountable for the record-breaking levels of migration at the southern U.S. border. —Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024

This insight helps anticipate when cranes are scheduled to be removed, holding city officials and project managers accountable to their respective deadlines. —Kayla Jackson, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024

Many Iranians will hold their own regime accountable for the horror that a hot war with Israel could bring. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2024

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

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