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

accountableness

ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl-nəs 

noun

accountably

ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of accountable

• responsible
• liable

Choose the Right Synonym for accountable

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

Representation will become less responsive, less accountable, and less reflective of the people it’s supposed to serve. —Jon Harris Maurer, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026

Americans are paying more for food, fuel, housing, and healthcare, while government grows larger, less accountable, and less competent. —Kevin Fixler may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026

Second, hold the insurance industry accountable by rigorously enforcing state law and demanding transparency. —Ben Allen, Oc Register, 2 May 2026

Private-sector governance models for agentic deployment will be critical to building consumer confidence and ensuring safe, accountable integration into the workplace. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 May 2026

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

Rhymes for accountable

• countable
• demountable
• uncountable
• insurmountable
• unaccountable

Kids 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

-ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

accountably

-ˈkau̇nt-ə-blē 

adverb

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

accountability

ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun