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

And, the researchers didn’t account for other factors that could have contributed to cognitive decline. —Gillian Mohney, Verywell Health, 29 Nov. 2024

This figure doesn’t account for the long-term economic repercussions, such as labor shortages and disruptions in crucial industries like agriculture, construction, and healthcare. —Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

Electronic goods account for the largest share of U.S. imports from China as of 2023. —Rob Wile, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024

These same students who are being denied high-quality education—namely, Black, Hispanic, and American Indian students—will soon account for nearly 60% of the U.S. population. —Reynold Verret, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024