accountable
Americanadjective
-
subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable.
-
capable of being explained; explicable; explainable.
adjective
-
responsible to someone or for some action; answerable
-
able to be explained
Usage
What does accountable mean? Accountable means obligated to explain, justify, and take responsibility for one's actions, and to answer to someone, such as a person with more authority.The state of being accountable is accountability.The word accountable is often used in the context of individuals taking responsibility for their actions. It’s also commonly used in the context of institutions or people that are responsible to the public, such as the government, its agencies, politicians, and the media. Accountability is often discussed with transparency and consequences. This typically involves keeping people and organizations accountable by making their actions visible and having consequences when those actions are not acceptable.Accountable is often used with the verb hold, as in We need to hold him accountable for his actions. Example: The system of checks and balances is intended to keep the different branches of government accountable.
Other Word Forms
- accountability noun
- accountableness noun
- accountably adverb
- nonaccountable adjective
Etymology
Origin of accountable
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; account + -able
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.
“You can have a mental health diversion granted, but what is the justice system doing to hold people accountable?” she said.
From Los Angeles Times
Despite historical flaws in practice, it rests on the foundational claim that individuals have the right to choose their government and hold it accountable.
From Salon
Last year, the focus was on survival — finding temporary places to live, clearing lots, deciding whether to stay or go — while holding government officials accountable.
From Los Angeles Times
Yet it is also true that while the manager, or head coach, of a football team may be in a powerful position, there are people beyond the fanbase he is accountable to.
From BBC
The case against Adrian Gonzales is a rare example of an attempt to hold a law enforcement officer accountable for their actions during a mass shooting.
From Barron's
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.
