accountable

adjective

ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl How to pronounce accountable (audio)
1
: subject to giving an account : answerable
held her accountable for the damage
2
: capable of being explained : explainable
… leaving aside variations accountable as printer's errors …Peter Shaw
accountableness noun
accountably adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for accountable

responsible, answerable, accountable, amenable, liable mean subject to being held to account.

responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.

the bureau responsible for revenue collection

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

accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation.

elected officials are accountable to the voters

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

Examples of accountable in a Sentence

If anything goes wrong I will hold you personally accountable! the owner was held accountable for his dog's biting of the child
Recent Examples on the Web Insurance companies have not been held accountable for this. USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 Gutierrez-Reed is the second person to be held accountable for Hutchins’ death. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors are seeking to hold both parents accountable for the deaths of Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 Scope 3 emissions are those not produced directly by a company but from activities in its value chain, and being held accountable for them concerned many executives. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 There’s also the question of holding those who attacked Nex accountable. Lz Granderson, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 Jacobs is vice-chair of the Transparency Foundation, a nonprofit that helps make public institutions more transparent and accountable. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Supporters of the fresh effort to make the assessor elected say the position should be directly accountable to voters. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Every day, Washington Post reporters use public records to inform people about our communities and hold powerful people and governments accountable. Emily Joynton, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accountable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English accountable, accomptable, borrowed from Anglo-French acomptable, from acunter "to account entry 2" + -able -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of accountable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near accountable

Cite this Entry

“Accountable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

accountable

adjective
ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇nt-ə-bəl How to pronounce accountable (audio)
1
: responsible for giving an account (as of one's acts)
will be held accountable
2
: capable of being accounted for : explainable
accountability
-ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
noun
accountably adverb

Legal Definition

accountable

adjective
ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl How to pronounce accountable (audio)
1
: liable
accountable for the burglary
2
: obliged to accept responsibility
the bank accountable for payment of the check
accountability noun

More from Merriam-Webster on accountable

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