[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/accountability/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [A](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/a/) / accountability

# accountability

noun (accountability — uncountable)

«accountability» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Accountability means being responsible for what you do and being ready to explain it and accept the results: «taking accountability for a mistake». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#m1)
2. (formal) In government and work, accountability means that people in charge must explain their decisions to others and can be held to blame. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#m2)

### In the lessons

In ethics and citizenship lessons, accountability is part of fairness: leaders answer to voters, schools to inspectors, children to their families. In everyday life, owning up to a mistake shows accountability. Phrases: «take accountability», «hold someone to account», «accountability for».

### Examples

- Owning up to breaking the vase showed real accountability. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#x1)
- Voters want accountability from their leaders. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#x2)
- Our class has a rota so there is accountability for tidying up. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#x3)
- The coach talked about accountability: everyone is responsible for the team. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#x4)
- The report called for more accountability in the council. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#x5)
- Taking accountability means saying sorry and fixing things. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable. From «accountable» (responsible, able to be asked to explain). Formal; everyday talk says «owning up», «taking responsibility». Not about money, though it comes from the same word as «account».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «accountability» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/accountability/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«accountability» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/accountability.html) on Mova free.