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

The government hopes the museum will help revive the tourism sector, which accounts for around nine percent of Egypt's gross domestic product and employs nearly two million people.

From Barron's

With desert accounting for most of the country's million square kilometres, the vast majority of Egypt's 108 million people -- the Arab world's largest population -- are stacked vertically along the Nile River and its delta.

From Barron's

Industry accounts for October showed a broad decline in goods-producing industries, led by a drop in manufacturing that largely offset the sector’s expansion the month before.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is owed a guaranteed $54 million next year, along with other money the team has already paid, but which hasn’t yet been accounted for on the salary cap ledger.

From The Wall Street Journal

This mattered in a country where 65% of 1.4 billion people live in rural areas and nearly half rely on farming, which generates insufficient income, accounting for just 16% of India's GDP.

From BBC