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
Now, banks account for less than half of the lending there.
—
Fortune Editors, Fortune, 16 May 2024
Today, Black people account for just 6.7% of America’s public K-12 teachers, even as Black children make up more than 15% of public school students.
—Andrea Guiden Pittman, The Conversation, 16 May 2024
Today, in-group productions account for 50% of Mediawan Rights’ distribution activity – though Vleeschhouwer is hardly averse to finding synergistic opportunities with the third-party producers that make up the other half.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 16 May 2024
The study, conducted among 5,078 Hispanic adults in November 2023, Latinas account for 17% of all adult women in the U.S. today.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 15 May 2024
Those figures, however, only account for 70% of deaths fully identified.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 15 May 2024
Chinese brands account for about 87% of EV sales in South America and 20% in Mexico, according to BloombergNEF.
—Kelsey Butler, Fortune Asia, 14 May 2024
In the food industry alone, four retailers—Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Albertsons—account for over a third of national grocery sales, potentially allowing dominant retailers to extract more favorable prices and terms from suppliers.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 13 May 2024
The pay penalty is especially pronounced among women of color, who account for much of the child care workforce.
—Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Fortune Editors, Fortune, 16 May 2024
Today, Black people account for just 6.7% of America’s public K-12 teachers, even as Black children make up more than 15% of public school students.
—Andrea Guiden Pittman, The Conversation, 16 May 2024
Today, in-group productions account for 50% of Mediawan Rights’ distribution activity – though Vleeschhouwer is hardly averse to finding synergistic opportunities with the third-party producers that make up the other half.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 16 May 2024
The study, conducted among 5,078 Hispanic adults in November 2023, Latinas account for 17% of all adult women in the U.S. today.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 15 May 2024
Those figures, however, only account for 70% of deaths fully identified.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 15 May 2024
Chinese brands account for about 87% of EV sales in South America and 20% in Mexico, according to BloombergNEF.
—Kelsey Butler, Fortune Asia, 14 May 2024
In the food industry alone, four retailers—Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Albertsons—account for over a third of national grocery sales, potentially allowing dominant retailers to extract more favorable prices and terms from suppliers.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 13 May 2024
The pay penalty is especially pronounced among women of color, who account for much of the child care workforce.
—Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'account for (something).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 22 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share