account for
Britishverb
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to give reasons for (an event, act, etc)
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to make or provide a reckoning of (expenditure, payments, etc)
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to be responsible for destroying, killing, or putting (people, aircraft, etc) out of action
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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 .
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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]
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.
"He spent 40 hours in that hole, he didn't have an ID, they couldn't account for him because he had no documents," his grandmother, Marlene Lozano, told Reuters.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Independent gas stations have already started raising their prices in the past week, and so did taxi drivers and the shipping companies that have to account for time lost lining up for fuel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
Opens, which account for all of her singles wins in Grand Slam tournaments.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
In the U.S., data-center construction has increased by 350% since 2020 and is estimated to account for 30% of U.S. economic growth this year.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
Somehow—and a miracle was the only way I could account for it—I’d done it.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
