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
Hotels account for only 8% of the conversion projects.
—
Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 16 June 2025
Several factors account for the stark difference in the two competitors’ journeys – among them, that Borders was late to invest in e-commerce and never properly integrated it into their physical stores.
—Iese Business School, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
But such readings can hardly account for the urgency, and occasional stridency, of le Carré’s post-Cold War novels.
—Rav Grewal-Kök
june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
The 17-performance jazz lineup will account for three of the first four concerts in the 2025-26 season — and two of the final three next May and June.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (something)
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Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 16 June 2025
Several factors account for the stark difference in the two competitors’ journeys – among them, that Borders was late to invest in e-commerce and never properly integrated it into their physical stores.
—Iese Business School, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
But such readings can hardly account for the urgency, and occasional stridency, of le Carré’s post-Cold War novels.
—Rav Grewal-Kök
june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
The 17-performance jazz lineup will account for three of the first four concerts in the 2025-26 season — and two of the final three next May and June.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 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 19 Jun. 2025.
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