account for (something)
phrasal verb
accounted for (something); accounting for (something); accounts for (something)
1
: to give a reason or explanation for (something)
How do you account for your success?
2
: to be the cause of (something)
These new features account for the computer's higher price.
3
: to make up or form (a part of something)
Women account for only 25 percent of our employees.
4
US
: to think about (something) before doing something : to take (something) into consideration
The researchers failed to account for the fact that most of the students were poor.
Examples of account for (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Available in 38 hues that account for an impressive range of skin tones and undertones, the concealer hydrates, plumps, and brightens the undereye area with skin-loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, and caffeine.
—
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2025
Since obesity is a risk factor, increasing rates of obesity may account for some of the rise in colorectal cancer.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Automakers must take pedestrian safety into account for once, calling off their lobbyists trying to block sensible regulations that would save lives.
—Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2025
Conversely, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union ultimately failed because its planners underestimated the opposition and failed to account for how the German army could be supplied, particularly during the harsh Russian winter.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
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Jenny Berg, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2025
Since obesity is a risk factor, increasing rates of obesity may account for some of the rise in colorectal cancer.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Automakers must take pedestrian safety into account for once, calling off their lobbyists trying to block sensible regulations that would save lives.
—Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2025
Conversely, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union ultimately failed because its planners underestimated the opposition and failed to account for how the German army could be supplied, particularly during the harsh Russian winter.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
Cite this Entry
“Account for (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/account%20for%20%28something%29. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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