# accountable

/əˈkaʊnəbəɫ/ (US) · /ɐkˈaʊntəbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/accountable
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. responsible for actions

adjective · CEFR B2

required to explain your actions or decisions to someone else, especially when you make a mistake.

For teachers: obliged to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions; answerable to an authority or the public.

- The government must be accountable to the people who voted for them.
- Public officials are held strictly accountable for the transparent management of taxpayer funds and must justify any significant budgetary deviations.

Usage: Often used with the prepositions 'to' (the person in charge) and 'for' (the task or action).

### 2. able to be explained

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · Archaic

possible to explain or understand.

For teachers: capable of being accounted for or explained through logic or evidence.

- The strange noise was accountable once we found the broken window.
- The sudden shift in the chemical composition of the soil was only accountable by the presence of an underground spring.

Usage: In modern English, 'explicable' is much more common for this meaning.

## Examples

- Managers are accountable for the safety of their employees.
- The new law ensures that government officials are held accountable for how they spend public money.
- In a healthy democracy, the executive branch must remain accountable to the legislature to prevent the concentration of power and ensure transparency in decision-making processes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.