accountable
adjective
ac·count·able
ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl 
1
: subject to giving an account : answerable
held her accountable for the damage
2
: capable of being explained : explainable
… leaving aside variations accountable as printer's errors …—
Peter Shaw
Peter ShawExamples of accountable in a Sentence
If anything goes wrong I will hold you personally accountable!
the owner was held accountable for his dog's biting of the child
Recent Examples on the Web
Reading even a few paragraphs about the testimony at these two NYC trials isn’t for the fainthearted, and men and women recognize that there are some very bad actors who must be held accountable for their actions.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Finally, with homicides soaring to record levels, exasperated authorities pivoted to a novel strategy: Mexico filed a $10-billion suit in U.S. federal court seeking to have Smith & Wesson and other signature manufacturers held accountable for the country’s epidemic of shooting deaths.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
The Trump Administration will continue to hold criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
—Dan Gooding
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in favor of U.S. gun manufacturers and blocked a liability lawsuit brought by the government of Mexico, which sought to hold the companies accountable for the trafficking of their weapons south of the border to fuel violence by the cartels.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 5 June 2025
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Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Finally, with homicides soaring to record levels, exasperated authorities pivoted to a novel strategy: Mexico filed a $10-billion suit in U.S. federal court seeking to have Smith & Wesson and other signature manufacturers held accountable for the country’s epidemic of shooting deaths.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
The Trump Administration will continue to hold criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
—Dan Gooding
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in favor of U.S. gun manufacturers and blocked a liability lawsuit brought by the government of Mexico, which sought to hold the companies accountable for the trafficking of their weapons south of the border to fuel violence by the cartels.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for accountable
Cite this Entry
“Accountable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountable. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
accountable
adjective
ac·count·able
ə-ˈkau̇nt-ə-bəl
1
: responsible for giving an account (as of one's acts)
will be held accountable
2
: capable of being accounted for : explainable
accountability
noun
-ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
Legal Definition
accountable
adjective
ac·count·able
ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl
1
: liable
accountable for the burglary
2
: obliged to accept responsibility
the bank accountable for payment of the check
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