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

Dadhania explained that while this partially represents the fact that Nike products account for about 60% of Foot Locker’s total revenue, “lower quality inventory and/or softer sell through rates” may also be to blame.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

COP31 hosts Turkey urged countries Tuesday to join a voluntary push to make electricity account for 35 percent of global energy demand by 2035 as it outlined its priorities for the UN climate talks.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

This exemplary service failed to account for her disturbingly poor judgment, risking blackmail and conflict-of-interest allegations, since the Atlanta Police Department appears before her court; nor her lack of candor to the court.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

Kent Ries, the bankruptcy trustee, said he believes Rabo and alleged participants in the scheme should be held to account for McClain’s operation continuing as long as it did.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 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