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account to

C1 formal inseparable transitive
In simple words

To have to explain what you did to someone who is in charge of you.

Meanings

1 C1 formal

To have a duty to explain your actions or decisions to a particular person or body.

"The minister accounts to parliament for the actions of his department."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

More formal than 'answer to'. Common in political, legal, and corporate contexts. Often used in passive constructions or in discussions about governance and responsibility.

Commonly used with

parliament board voters shareholders public committee

Forms

Base
account to
I/you/we/they
3rd person
accounts to
he/she/it
Past simple
accounted to
yesterday
Past participle
accounted to
have + pp
-ing form
accounting to
continuous

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Synonyms

answer to report to be responsible to be accountable to

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