Definition of accountable in US English:

adjective

• 1(of a person, organization, or institution) required or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible.

  ‘parents could be held accountable for their children's actions’

  ‘government must be accountable to its citizens’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Should the corporate media not be held accountable for blocking the democratic process?’
  • ‘He suggested that a club be formed and that its members be held accountable for the responsible use of the pier.’
  • ‘They should be elected democratically and be accountable to all New Zealanders.’
  • ‘Politicians are held accountable for their execution of duties in governing a country.’
  • ‘The treasurers are accountable to the parties or agencies outside their office.’
  • ‘Utility agencies better coordinate their work and show they are accountable to the public.’
  • ‘All politicians are accountable to us and we must not confuse arrogant indifference with real leadership.’
  • ‘The plaintiffs say they want to see the church and government held accountable for these abuses.’
  • ‘We have to make judgments on which we are accountable to the public.’
  • ‘What's the status of finding out who or what is to be held accountable for what went wrong?’
  • ‘Vote for me and let me help you to make your student government more accountable to you!’
  • ‘Individuals are fully accountable to the organisation for the expenditure they incur.’
  • ‘When nobody can be held accountable for decisions like this, democracy is dead.’
  • ‘The simple reason is the people in charge of spending the money are not accountable to anyone.’
  • ‘The government is also accountable to Parliament, which has the right to ask questions.’
  • ‘The Republic is not a free paper because we want to be accountable to our readers, not to advertisers.’
  • ‘Rogue government and rebel militias who prowl rural areas are hardly accountable to higher authorities.’
  • ‘Unless leaders are accountable to a constituency, there can be no true democracy.’
  • ‘History will tell whether those responsible will be held accountable for their crimes.’
  • ‘The fact that he is ultimately accountable to the clubs means that he needs a consensus from the clubs before he can act.’

  Synonyms

  responsible, liable, answerable, chargeable

  answerable, responsible, reporting, subject

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• 2Explicable; understandable.

  ‘the delayed introduction of characters' names is accountable, if we consider that names have a low priority’

  Synonyms

  explicable, explainable

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