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

Detectives also noted that there was one hour during the day of his grandfather's death for which Nathan couldn’t account for his whereabouts. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025

According to a study at the University of Michigan the top .5% of the highest earning Americans account for about a fifth of the income that is hidden from the IRS estimated to be more than $50 billion. —Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

Fewer home health aides Immigrants account for 64% of all home health aides in Florida, according to the American Immigration Council. —Mercedes Vigon, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025

The governor’s $322 billion draft budget, released in January, did not account for possible tariffs, though they were anticipated, according to California Department of Finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025