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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

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.
Recent Examples of accountable The civil suits are the only remaining legal effort to hold the president accountable for the riot, after two criminal cases against Trump tied to Jan. 6 crumbled last year. Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025 The group is demanding that city leaders replace the trees and hold the perpetrator accountable. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025 Wharton wants the rebel terrorists held accountable. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2025 Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for accountable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accountable
Adjective
  • But human activity is responsible for about 90% of all wildfires in the nation.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Despite the pretence, Tindall is an elite coach with a sharp tactical brain, responsible for overseeing Newcastle’s defence and orchestrating set pieces.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These rules establish that an executor who makes distributions from the estate before satisfying estate tax liability may become personally liable for the unpaid estate tax.
    Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D., Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Spacey has denied any allegations of improper or criminal behavior and in 2022, he was found not liable for battery against actor Anthony Rapp. CNN has reached out to representatives for Spacey and Netflix for comment about the new video.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Accountable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accountable. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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