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
Edwards and Randle have been firmly in his corner, which has helped Finch hold the team accountable when things are going wrong.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Around the world, other climate cases are being watched closely as potentially setting unique precedent in the effort to hold major polluters accountable.
—Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
That’s not to suggest that individual employees shouldn’t eventually be held accountable for their mistakes.
—Michael Peregrine, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
But in such a factory, if a workplace accident occurs, or if a defective product is sold, who will be accountable?
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for accountable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Around the world, other climate cases are being watched closely as potentially setting unique precedent in the effort to hold major polluters accountable.
—Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
That’s not to suggest that individual employees shouldn’t eventually be held accountable for their mistakes.
—Michael Peregrine, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
But in such a factory, if a workplace accident occurs, or if a defective product is sold, who will be accountable?
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 27 May 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 12 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share