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

If the court rejects the silly idea that a wrong house raid is the product of a public policy judgment call, common sense may prevail in lawsuits against federal law enforcement—righteous police will be protected and rogue police will be accountable. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

For animal advocates, this moment poses an exceptionally hard challenge: advocating intelligently for a transition away from animal research, and holding the Trump administration accountable for its promises, without allowing themselves to be recruited into a nihilistic war on universities. —Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 18 June 2025

Reading even a few paragraphs about the testimony at these two NYC trials isn’t for the fainthearted, and men and women recognize that there are some very bad actors who must be held accountable for their actions. —Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

Finally, with homicides soaring to record levels, exasperated authorities pivoted to a novel strategy: Mexico filed a $10-billion suit in U.S. federal court seeking to have Smith & Wesson and other signature manufacturers held accountable for the country’s epidemic of shooting deaths. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025