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
Its funds account for less than 10% of the nation's public school funding, which is primarily driven by state and local taxes.
—
Graham Kates, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2025
Unitree The South China Morning Post noted that within China itself, humanoid robots are expected to account for $2.7 billion in sales by 2026.
—New Atlas, 3 Feb. 2025
China, Mexico and Canada in total account for just over 42% of all goods imported into the U.S., said James Knightley, chief international economist at Dutch bank ING.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025
Mexico and Canada account for 70% of U.S. crude oil imports, which make up a key input for the nation's gasoline supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a government agency.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Feb. 2025
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Graham Kates, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2025
Unitree The South China Morning Post noted that within China itself, humanoid robots are expected to account for $2.7 billion in sales by 2026.
—New Atlas, 3 Feb. 2025
China, Mexico and Canada in total account for just over 42% of all goods imported into the U.S., said James Knightley, chief international economist at Dutch bank ING.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025
Mexico and Canada account for 70% of U.S. crude oil imports, which make up a key input for the nation's gasoline supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a government agency.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for account for (something)
Dictionary Entries Near 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 9 Feb. 2025.
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