account for (something)
phrasal verb
accounted for (something); accounting for (something); accounts for (something)
1
: to give a reason or explanation for (something)
How do you account for your success?
2
: to be the cause of (something)
These new features account for the computer's higher price.
3
: to make up or form (a part of something)
Women account for only 25 percent of our employees.
4
US
: to think about (something) before doing something : to take (something) into consideration
The researchers failed to account for the fact that most of the students were poor.
Examples of account for (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After much criticism, the X account for the House Judiciary GOP deleted the post on Thursday night.
—
Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
According to the European Commission’s December 2024 Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, just 50 companies account for 40% of the global R&D spending the scoreboard tracks.
—David Michels, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
But these frequent moviegoers account for 48% of all tickets sold in the U.S. and Canada.
—Bing Chen, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025
Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
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Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
According to the European Commission’s December 2024 Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, just 50 companies account for 40% of the global R&D spending the scoreboard tracks.
—David Michels, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
But these frequent moviegoers account for 48% of all tickets sold in the U.S. and Canada.
—Bing Chen, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025
Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
Cite this Entry
“Account for (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/account%20for%20%28something%29. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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