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

Schafer expects data centers to account for 75% of revenue this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

But that turned out to account for only about 10% of the missing water.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

The analysts raise their cost estimates for Australian miners to account for the impact of higher diesel prices on haulage, equipment, contractors and consumables.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

"They make us account for every little bit of medicine," one nurse said.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Often he had felt torn by a tug-of-war between duty and honor—a tension, he thought, that might account for “a good portion of my psychic difficulties over the years.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield