account for
Britishverb
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to give reasons for (an event, act, etc)
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to make or provide a reckoning of (expenditure, payments, etc)
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to be responsible for destroying, killing, or putting (people, aircraft, etc) out of action
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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 .
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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]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But by then Sanchez, a single mom, had had to pull funds out of the college savings account for her 19-year-old daughter, who is attending a local university.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
He says he didn't use AI to plan it, because "it didn't really take account for scenarios".
From BBC • May 27, 2026
The airline’s cancellations related to pilot availability are more than 10 times historical levels, and account for 35% of its mainline flight cancellations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Still, that report projected that Gen Z-ers and millennials would account for more than 60% of retail sales growth in the next five years.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
It was possible for hackers to use modded visors to spoof their retinal patterns and thus create a second account for themselves.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
