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

“Independents are pioneers and kick-starters. We’re nimble, willing to take early risk and experienced at restoring output from mature fields — which still account for most of Venezuela’s current production,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Monetary policy risks, he said, could become overly restrictive if the Fed fails to account for supply-side gains.

From Barron's

Its top 3% of customers, who spend more than $10,000 a year, accounted for around 40% of annual gross merchandise value, a measure of the total worth of items bought, the filing said.

From MarketWatch

“Independents are pioneers and kickstarters. We’re nimble, willing to take early risk and experienced at restoring output from mature fields — which still account for most of Venezuela’s current production,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Keep in mind that this amount drops if you take a distribution now, even if you continue contributing to your accounts for the next five years.

From MarketWatch