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.
Whether by focusing on such hybrid players or by building a portfolio balancing pioneers and scalers, savvy tech investors always account for multiple likely scenarios.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
When someone calls in seeking to cancel an account, for example, it’s a cinch for AI to handle that.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
Roku still sells streaming sticks and smart televisions, but devices account for a relatively small portion of its business.
From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026
Rather than disappearing from the story, the cosmological constant suddenly became essential again because it could account for this accelerating expansion.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
He could not account for why Nasser had money with him.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
