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

TikTok has since banned his account for breaching its rules on bullying and harassment.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Taiwan Semi, Hynix and Samsung account for a quarter of the index.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

The analyst community has not consistently upgraded its forecasts to account for the much wider crack spreads now being achieved.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

Those brands now account for around 70% of the company’s marketing budget, up from 50% in 2021, and generate some 60% of sales, Marcondes said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Consequently, he insisted on using one single mathematical model to account for a planet’s movement across the heavens.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton