Synonyms of accountable

accountable

adjective

ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl 

as in responsible

being the one who must meet an obligation or suffer the consequences for failing to do so

the owner was held accountable for his dog's biting of the child

Synonyms & Similar Words

• responsible
• liable
• answerable
• amenable
• indebted
• obligated
• beholden
• obliged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• irresponsible
• unaccountable
• exempt
• immune
• nonaccountable

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective accountable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of accountable are amenable, answerable, liable, and responsible. While all these words mean "subject to being held to account," accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation.

elected officials are accountable to the voters

How do amenable and liable relate to one another, in the sense of accountable?

Both 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

When is answerable a more appropriate choice than accountable?

While in some cases nearly identical to accountable, 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

When would responsible be a good substitute for accountable?

The words responsible and accountable can be used in similar contexts, but responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.

the bureau responsible for revenue collection

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of accountable

And in the interest of open and accountable government — values that most public officials, Welch included, endorse — the burden of the argument against releasing a report such as this should rest on anyone resisting release of this information. — Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Software can do none of this, and transcripts produced by someone who was never in the room raise chain-of-custody questions that a single accountable reporter does not. — K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Journalists will keep working to hold all leaders accountable, and expose the lies behind the slick campaigns. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026

What’s more, the agency appears to be accountable to no one but itself. — Kica Matos, Time, 17 July 2026