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

See Examples For:

account for

The cuts account for about 30% of the company’s workers unionized with The NewsGuild-CWA, a North American labor union of journalists and communications workers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

More than a decade ago, it began shifting into foreign debt and equities, and today domestic Japanese bonds account for about a quarter of its portfolio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The city will aim to make research and development account for three percent of gross domestic product after 2030, up from 1.63 percent in 2024, according to an official document.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Your income and assets are taken into account for repayments.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

When asked to account for the time I’ve spent in Paris, I reach for my carton of ticket stubs and groan beneath its weight.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris