unaccountable

American  

[uhn-uh-koun-tuh-buhl] / ˌʌn əˈkaʊn tə bəl /

adjective

1. impossible to account for; unexplained; inexplicable.

   The boat has an unaccountable tendency to yaw.

   Synonyms:

   unintelligible, mysterious, inscrutable, incomprehensible

2. exempt from being called to account; not answerable.

   As a subordinate, he is unaccountable for errors in policy.

   Synonyms:

   irresponsible, unanswerable

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unaccountable British  

/ ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbəl /

adjective

1. allowing of no explanation; inexplicable

2. puzzling; extraordinary

   an unaccountable fear of hamburgers

3. not accountable or answerable to

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Other Word Forms

• unaccountability noun
• unaccountableness noun
• unaccountably adverb

Etymology

Origin of unaccountable

First recorded in 1635–45; un- ¹ + accountable

Example Sentences

The Online Safety Act is being implemented in phases, and is intended to prevent past practices which Ofcom described as online platforms being "unregulated, unaccountable and often unwilling to prioritise people's safety over profits."

From BBC

Yet here, a single unaccountable administrator effectively outlawed an entire way of life for responsible therapists, guides and small businesses in Hawaii.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Phasmagorica” is different, Smith says, and was born out of those more dramatic performances, in part because he kept encountering the unaccountable.

From Los Angeles Times

When a federal court appointed a receiver to take over a Mississippi jail plagued by inmate deaths three years ago, the Hinds County supervisors decried the move as “utterly unaccountable” to voters.

From Los Angeles Times

Philosopher Elizabeth Anderson argues that the workplace operates as an “arbitrary and unaccountable” dictatorship, in which employers exercise control of workers inside and outside of the workplace:

From Salon

Related Words

• arcane
• impenetrable
• inexplicable
• unfathomable
• unheard-of
• unintelligible