account for
To say why something happened, or to be a part of a total amount.
Meanings
To provide an explanation for something that happened or a situation that exists.
"Can you account for where you were on the night of the incident?"
"How do you account for the fact that unemployment has risen?"
— Common political interview question, widely used in British and American news media.
To make up or represent a particular amount or proportion of a total.
"Tourism accounts for nearly 15% of the country's annual income."
To be the reason for something; to cause or explain a particular result.
"The cold weather accounts for the low turnout at the event."
To keep track of or include something in a plan or calculation.
"We need to account for delays when planning the project timeline."
One of the most versatile and frequently tested phrasal verbs in English. Used across academic, journalistic, and everyday registers. The 'constitute a proportion' sense is especially common in statistics and reports.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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