accountability

noun

ac·​count·​abil·​i·​ty ə-ˌkau̇n-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: the quality or state of being accountable

especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions

public officials lacking accountability

Examples of accountability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But these laws have not historically extended to child influencers and social media stars — leaving the influencer space largely free of guidelines and any external accountability. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025

Palo Alto’s race to patch couldn’t match hackers’ speed, but a community model could have shrunk that window because shared accountability outpaces solo fixes. —Camellia Chan, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Now, Hochul is forcing a ban through the budget, bypassing public scrutiny and accountability. —N. Goldberg, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025

The Charlotte Observer Nora O’Neill is the regional accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. —Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

accountable + -ity

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above