accountability
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the situation where you are responsible for what you do and must explain your results to others.
the obligation of an individual or organisation to account for its activities and accept responsibility for them.
Simple“The new law will improve the accountability of big companies to the public.”
In context“Public demand for greater political accountability has led to more transparent reporting on how tax money is spent.”
UsageOften used with the prepositions 'to' (the authority) and 'for' (the action).
SynonymsAntonymsirresponsibilityimpunity - 02 C1 Advanced
the duty to keep exact records of money, equipment, or documents.
the legal or regulatory obligation to maintain accurate records of property, funds, or sensitive documents.
Simple“The officer is in charge of the accountability of all medical supplies in the hospital.”
In context“Strict financial accountability is required to ensure that international aid reaches the intended recipients without being diverted.”
UsageCommon in military, legal, and governmental contexts regarding inventory or budgets.
Synonymsrecord keepingoversight
“Qusra has faced settler attacks for decades, Ibrahim explained, and residents tie the rise in violence to the spread of illegal settlements and the lack of accountability for attackers.”
“And students moved beyond their initial demands for accountability over the collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, which killed 16 people, and began calling for political change.”
From accountable + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.