account for

British  

verb

1. to give reasons for (an event, act, etc)

2. to make or provide a reckoning of (expenditure, payments, etc)

3. to be responsible for destroying, killing, or putting (people, aircraft, etc) out of action

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account for Idioms  

1. Be the determining factor in; cause. For example, The heat wave accounts for all this food spoilage , or Icy roads account for the increase in accidents .

2. Explain or justify, as in Jane was upset because her son couldn't account for the three hours between his last class and his arrival at home . Both of these related usages are derived from the literal meaning of the phrase, that is, “make a reckoning of an account.” [Second half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

account for

Stock held by Musk and select other insiders, which together account for over 63% of pre-IPO outstanding shares, is subject to a longer lockup.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Heavier elements, including carbon, iron, and silver, account for only 1.5 percent of its mass.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

Taken together, these donations account for the vast majority of the $13 million that America First Agricultural Action Inc. has raised so far this cycle.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

The two memory-chip makers at the center of the global artificial-intelligence boom now account for more than half of the Kospi’s market capitalization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Indeed, how else are we to account for their rise?

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson