accountable
gb/əkˈaʊntəbəl/ us/əkˈaʊntəbəl/
B2
English
~ 5400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
responsible and answerable for actions
Responsible for what you do and having to explain or accept the result, especially to another person or group.
Usage pattern:
be accountable for [something] / be accountable to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "accountable" with "capable" or "able" because of the similar endings. "Accountable" always includes the idea of responsibility and having to explain actions. Also, learners may say "accountable of" instead of the correct prepositions "accountable for" (thing/action) or "accountable to" (person/group).
Synonyms
responsible (General word for being in charge of something or to blame for it, without always stressing the need to explain your actions.)
|
answerable (Slightly more formal; strongly emphasizes having to justify actions to someone.)
Antonyms
unaccountable (Describes someone or something that does not have to explain actions or accept responsibility.)
Collocations
held accountable
|accountable for their actions
|accountable to the public
|personally accountable
|financially accountable
|legally accountable
Themes
law
|business
|politics
|ethics
|work
Examples
- As a manager, you are accountable for the performance of your team.
- Elected officials must be accountable to the voters who put them in office.
- The company was held accountable for the environmental damage it caused.
- She made it clear that every student would be accountable for meeting the deadline.
- Without clear rules, it is hard to know who is accountable when things go wrong.
Learner examples
- Parents are accountable for the safety of their children.
- The boss is accountable to the owners of the company.
- He was held accountable for the mistake at work.
- In a democracy, leaders are accountable to the people.
- Each team member is accountable for their own tasks.
adjective
literary
C1
property
2
able to be explained or justified
Possible to explain or understand using reasons or facts.
Usage pattern:
be accountable to [reason/experience]
Common mistake:
This sense is rare in modern English. Learners are better off using "explicable" or "can be explained". Do not use "accountable" with this meaning in everyday speech, as it may sound old-fashioned or confusing.
Synonyms
explicable (More common in modern use for something that can be explained; similar meaning but more neutral and slightly technical.)
Antonyms
inexplicable (Describes something that cannot be explained or understood, the opposite of this sense of "accountable".)
Themes
communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The strange lights in the sky were barely accountable by known scientific theories.
- Most of the changes in temperature are accountable by seasonal weather patterns.
- The error is not easily accountable on the basis of the data we have.
Learner examples
- The delay is accountable by the heavy traffic.
- Some events in history are not accountable by simple answers.
- Their success is accountable when you see how hard they worked.
Grammar
Dictionary form
accountable
IPA
GB/əkˈaʊntəbəl/
US/əkˈaʊntəbəl/
Syllables & stress
ac - count - able (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (count)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: accountable
Word family
Core family
accountability
noun B2
account
noun A2
Related words
accountant
noun B1
accounting
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unaccountable
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
accountancy
noun
Expressions
accountable for something
1/əkˈaʊntəbəl fɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
responsible for a specific result
Responsible for a particular thing, action, or result and needing to explain it.
Examples
- Each department is accountable for its own budget.
- You are accountable for the quality of the work you deliver.
accountable to someone
2/əkˈaʊntəbəl tə sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
responsible to a person or group
Responsible to a particular person or group and needing to explain your actions to them.
Examples
- Public agencies are accountable to the taxpayers.
- The project team is accountable to the board of directors.
be held accountable
4/bˈi hˈɛld əkˈaʊntəbəl/
fixed phrase
be treated as responsible
To be officially seen as responsible for something and made to explain it or accept the result.
Examples
- The minister was held accountable for the failures of the new policy.
- Companies must be held accountable when they break the law.
hold someone accountable
3/hˈoʊld sˈʌmwˌʌn əkˈaʊntəbəl/
fixed phrase
make someone accept responsibility
To say that someone is responsible for something and must explain it or accept the result.
Examples
- We must hold the company accountable for the damage it has done to the river.
- Parents should hold their children accountable for their promises.