Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Liable to be called to account; responsible: Describes a person, group, or entity that is required or expected to justify actions, decisions, or the management of resources, typically to an authority or the public.
   • Explainable; able to be accounted for: Describes something that can be explained or understood.

Examples of Usage

• As an adjective:
  • Public officials are accountable to the voters. (They must answer to the voters for their decisions.)
  • Managers are held accountable for their team's performance. (They are responsible for the results.)
  • The strange noise was accountable; it was just the old pipes. (The noise could be explained.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be accountable to someone/something": To have a duty to report to, explain your actions to, or be judged by a specific person or group.
  • The board is accountable to the shareholders.
• "to be accountable for something": To bear the responsibility for a specific action, outcome, or state of affairs.
  • He is personally accountable for the project's failure.
• "hold someone accountable": To consider someone responsible and demand an explanation or impose consequences.
  • The law will hold them accountable for their crimes.

Variants and Related Words

• Accountability (n): The state of being accountable, liable, or answerable.
  • The new policy increases transparency and accountability.
• Accountably (adv): In an accountable manner.
  • He promised to act accountably.

Synonyms

• Answerable: Obliged to answer or be responsible to someone.
• Responsible: Being the primary cause or having a duty to deal with something.
• Liable: Legally responsible.

Antonyms

• Unaccountable: Not required or expected to justify actions; not explainable.
• Irresponsible: Not showing a proper sense of responsibility.

Related Phrases

• Accountable government: A system where the government is answerable to its citizens.
• Financially accountable: Responsible for the management and reporting of money.

Adjective

1. liable to account for one's actions
   • governments must be accountable to someone beside themselves
   • fully accountable for what they did
   • the court held the parents answerable for their minor child's acts of vandalism
   • he was answerable to no one