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
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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.