account for

The phrase "account for" is versatile and used in various contexts to explain, quantify, or take responsibility for something.

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Definition

B2General

(common)To provide an explanation or justification for something.

Example

  • Can you account for your absence last Friday?
  • She had to account for the missing funds.

C1Statistics

(technical)To make up or constitute a certain amount or proportion of something.

Example

  • The wealthy 10% of the population account for half of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.

C1Military

(formal, specific)To be responsible for the destruction or death of something or someone.

Example

  • Enemy fighters have accounted for most of our bombers, Sir.

C1British English

(informal, regional)To defeat or beat someone or something in a competition.

Example

  • We accounted for the challengers 3–2.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "account for":

on accountallow foron someone's accounttime accounton account ofreckon withcast accountsreckon forcast up one's accountsreckon up