accountability

noun

ac·​count·​abil·​i·​ty ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: the quality or state of being accountable

… the CFO has ultimate accountability for maintaining the books and records of the company …

—The Motley Fool

especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions

demanded more accountability from public officials

The … quarterback did take accountability for his play … recognizing it as an error that can't happen at this level.

—Steven Corder

Examples of accountability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This case is an example of what the accountability law was designed to do, and not necessarily a sign that POST is taking a tougher stance on police shootings, according to Meagan Poulos, an agency spokesperson. —Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026

Supporters say those changes would close long-standing gaps in accountability. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 2 May 2026

The accountability crisis that looked like someone else’s problem last week is sitting in Florida’s backyard. —Nick Weston, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026

On accountability, the returns and refunds infrastructure already handles error correction, and escalation is largely automated, leaving retailers well-positioned for agentic accountability without a net-new architecture. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

accountable + -ity

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above