Dictionary

account for en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əˈkaʊnt foɹ/ (US)
• (US) audio

Meanings

1. (transitive) To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.
   • […] But there are still four cartridges in the revolver. Two have been fired and two wounds inflicted, so that each bullet can be accounted for. a. 1905, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Dancing Men”, in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, W. R. Caldwell & Co. (1905), page 78
   • I don't have to account for anything to you.
   • Under the previous administration, the meetings between DfT officials and train operating companies who were performing badly had been scrapped. These have now been restored, with both Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express being called in to account for themselves. 2024 August 7, Christian Wolmar, “Labour in a hurry to implement changes on the railway”, in RAIL, number 1015, page 43:
   • The storekeeper was expected to account for any material removed.
2. (transitive) To be the primary cause of
   • The torrential downpour would account for the saturated state of the land.
3. (transitive) To constitute in amount or portion.
   • ... and car strikes account for more than 50000, it's obvious the wolves' effect on the state's deer herd is so small as to be meaningless. 1992 November 15, “Scientists monitoring return of wolves to Upper Pennisula”, in Chicago Tribune:
   • German speakers accounted for 37% of the population.
4. (transitive) To make or render a reckoning of funds, persons, or things.
   • When you deduct the direct and indirect costs, the picture looks a little different. Only mail and coal traffic generated a net revenue when accounting for all costs, not just direct operating costs. 2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 46:
   • His mind accounted for one useless article after another in a vain search for any kind of makeshift tool. Not a scrap of metal, not even a serviceable edge of broken stone or brick, had been left to suggest escape. 1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:
5. (transitive) To be answerable for.
6. (transitive) To destroy or put out of action.
   • Coyotes account for more rabbits than hunters do.
   • Allied Air Forces Account for 34 Axis Aircraft 1942 October 11, “Check of Fortress, Liberator Raid At Lille Reveals High Enemy Loss”, in Hartford Courant:
   • South Vietnamese counter-attacks helped account for 239 guerrillas reported killed in the 24 hours ending at 6 today, 86 of them in allied air attacks 1972 February 22, “Jet Missile Downs Mig In Dogfight”, in The Bulletin:
7. (dated, transitive) To kill, as in hunting.
   • He accounted for two deer today.

Forms

Deriveds

there's no accounting for taste

Translations (62)

fi olla (to constitute in amount or portion) · yua tsoolik (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg дам отчет (to explain by relating circumstances) · hu számot ad (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg ставам причина за (to be the primary cause of) · fr rendre compte (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg стана причина за (to be the primary cause of) · bg причинявам (to be the primary cause of) · bg представлявам (to constitute in amount or portion) · hu elszámoltat (to make or render a reckoning of funds, persons, or things) · hu indokol (to be the primary cause of) · es contabilizar (to make or render a reckoning of funds, persons, or things) · hu alkot (to constitute in amount or portion) · bg доведа до (to be the primary cause of) · fr expliquer (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg довеждам до (to be the primary cause of) · cy rhoi cyfrif (to be answerable for) · id terhitung sekitar (to constitute in amount or portion) · fi tuhota (military: to destroy or put out of action) · pt prestar contas (to explain by relating circumstances) · nl tellen voor (to constitute in amount or portion) · hu felelős (to be answerable for) · es constituir (to constitute in amount or portion) · bg отговоря за (to be answerable for) · ja 占める (to constitute in amount or portion) · fr constituer (to constitute in amount or portion) · hu felel (to be answerable for) · bg съставлявам (to constitute in amount or portion) · bg отчета се за (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg давам отчет (to explain by relating circumstances) · fi selvittää (to explain by relating circumstances) · fi raportoida (to make or render a reckoning of funds, persons, or things) · hu kitesz (to constitute in amount or portion) · pt prestar conta (to explain by relating circumstances) · de ausmachen (to constitute in amount or portion) · hu elszámol (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg обяснявам (to be the primary cause of) · cy rhoi cyfrif (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg отчитам се за (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg отчета (to make or render a reckoning of funds, persons, or things) · fi selittää (to explain by relating circumstances) · it costituire (to constitute in amount or portion) · it giustificare (to explain by relating circumstances) · bg отчитам (to make or render a reckoning of funds, persons, or things) · nl meetellen voor (to constitute in amount or portion) · yua tsoolik (to be the primary cause of) · bg отговарям за (to be answerable for) · hu magyaráz (to be the primary cause of) · es representar (to constitute in amount or portion) · eo klarigi (to explain by relating circumstances) · ja 説明 (to explain by relating circumstances) · fi aiheuttaa (to be the primary cause of) · fi vastata (to be answerable for) · it rendere conto (to explain by relating circumstances) · fi ilmoittaa (to make or render a reckoning of funds, persons, or things) · it spiegare (to explain by relating circumstances) · it rappresentare (to constitute in amount or portion) · yua tsoolik (to constitute in amount or portion) · bg обясня (to be the primary cause of) · fr représenter (to constitute in amount or portion) · bg причиня (to be the primary cause of) · bg отговорен съм за (to be answerable for)