accountable

adjective

ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl How to pronounce accountable (audio)
Synonyms of accountable
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
accountableness
ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl-nəs How to pronounce accountable (audio)
noun
accountably
ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-blē How to pronounce accountable (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of accountable

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responsible, answerable, accountable, amenable, liable mean subject to being held to account.

responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.

the bureau responsible for revenue collection

answerable suggests a relation between one having a moral or legal obligation and a court or other authority charged with oversight of its observance.

an intelligence agency answerable to Congress

accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation.

elected officials are accountable to the voters

amenable and liable stress the fact of subjection to review, censure, or control by a designated authority under certain conditions.

laws are amenable to judicial review
not liable for the debts of the former spouse

Examples 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
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.
Which, again, stood in sharp contrast to her usual attitude of acceptance, of submission rather than demand, of being accountable to others rather than asking anything of them. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 Presumably everybody wants the evidence to hold people who commit serious crimes accountable, but nobody wants to turn into the evil empire in the process. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Florida’s new coach held everyone accountable, from stars to the scout-teamers. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026 In 2023, after returning to lead the Biden-era OCR, Lhamon again advised schools that they could be held accountable if their discipline data revealed concerning disparities. — Cory Turner, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accountable

Word History

Etymology

Middle English accountable, accomptable, borrowed from Anglo-French acomptable, from acunter "to account entry 2" + -able -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of accountable was in the 15th century

Rhymes for accountable

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Browse Nearby Words

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accountably
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Cite this Entry

“Accountable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountable. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

accountable

adjective
ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇nt-ə-bəl How to pronounce accountable (audio)
1
: responsible for giving an account (as of one's acts)
will be held accountable
2
: capable of being accounted for : explainable
accountability
-ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
noun
accountably
-ˈkau̇nt-ə-blē How to pronounce accountable (audio)
adverb

Legal Definition

accountable

adjective
ac·​count·​able ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl How to pronounce accountable (audio)
1
: liable
accountable for the burglary
2
: obliged to accept responsibility
the bank accountable for payment of the check
accountability
ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce accountable (audio)
noun
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