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
Explosive first-person-view drones, weighing just a few pounds and flown as far as six miles by remote operators wearing goggles that display feeds from the drones’ own cameras, now account for more than two-thirds of casualties on the 800-mile front line of Russia’s 37-month wider war on Ukraine.
—
David Axe, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Many in real estate, including Coldwell Banker Realty and our parent company Anywhere, are advocating for the rule to be revised, rather than repealed, to account for these specific circumstances.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Imports from China, the world’s largest steel producer, account for only a small fraction of what the U.S. buys.
—Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Consumer spending on goods and services account for around two-thirds of U.S. gross domestic product.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Axe, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Many in real estate, including Coldwell Banker Realty and our parent company Anywhere, are advocating for the rule to be revised, rather than repealed, to account for these specific circumstances.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Imports from China, the world’s largest steel producer, account for only a small fraction of what the U.S. buys.
—Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Consumer spending on goods and services account for around two-thirds of U.S. gross domestic product.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 12 Mar. 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 17 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share