account for (something)
phrasal verb
accounted for (something); accounting for (something); accounts for (something)
1
: to give a reason or explanation for (something)
How do you account for your success?
2
: to be the cause of (something)
These new features account for the computer's higher price.
3
: to make up or form (a part of something)
Women account for only 25 percent of our employees.
4
US
: to think about (something) before doing something : to take (something) into consideration
The researchers failed to account for the fact that most of the students were poor.
Examples of account for (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 245 members account for just 8% of the world’s 3,028 billionaires on Forbes’ latest annual list.
—
Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Growth decelerated from double-digit annual rates two decades ago to rates in the high single digits in the 2010s to rates of around five percent today (discounted by many China watchers to closer to two percent, to account for the CCP’s tendency to exaggerate).
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
And that doesn’t even account for the scoring/playmaking that Austin Reaves brings to the table.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 28 Apr. 2025
That interchange includes four new ramps — two on and two off to account for each direction of I-84.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Growth decelerated from double-digit annual rates two decades ago to rates in the high single digits in the 2010s to rates of around five percent today (discounted by many China watchers to closer to two percent, to account for the CCP’s tendency to exaggerate).
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
And that doesn’t even account for the scoring/playmaking that Austin Reaves brings to the table.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 28 Apr. 2025
That interchange includes four new ramps — two on and two off to account for each direction of I-84.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
Cite this Entry
“Account for (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/account%20for%20%28something%29. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share