unaccounted-for

An unaccounted-for sum of money was discovered during the audit.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not explained or accounted for: "unaccounted-for" describes something that cannot be explained or whose whereabouts or status is unknown, often implying a lack of justification or record.
   • Missing or lost: In contexts like finance or transportation, it refers to items or people that are not present in official records or have disappeared without explanation.

Usage Examples

• (The money's absence is not explained or recorded.)
• (Several hikers were missing and their location unknown.)

Advanced Usage

• "to go unaccounted-for": to remain missing or unexplained.
  • Many artefacts from the ancient site went unaccounted-for after the excavation. (Many artefacts were lost or not documented properly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Unaccounted (adj): a shorter form, meaning not included in an account or not explained.

  • The unaccounted expenses raised suspicion during the audit. (Expenses not recorded or justified.)

• Accountable (adj): responsible or required to explain actions.

  • Every manager is accountable for their team's performance. (They must justify outcomes.)

Synonyms

• Missing: not present or unable to be found.
• Unexplained: not given a reason or justification.
• Lost: no longer in one's possession or control.

Related Idioms

• "to be in the wind": to be missing or absent without explanation (informal).
  • The suspect is still in the wind after the robbery. (The suspect has disappeared.)

Note on Hyphenation

"Unaccounted-for" is often hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., "unaccounted-for items"), but may appear without hyphens in other contexts (e.g., "items unaccounted for"). The hyphenated form is standard in dictionary entries.