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

Acute conditions, such as sepsis and cardiac arrest, account for more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

We keep our finances separate but work very well together out of a joint account for the purpose of our current home and the project house we plan to buy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

China combines the trade data for the first two months of each year to account for fluctuations around the Lunar New Year holiday season, which falls on different dates each year.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Schafer expects data centers to account for 75% of revenue this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Harry was diligently avoiding contact with any of them; he was sure that, sooner or later, he would be asked again to account for Dumbledore’s last excursion from Hogwarts.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling