Accountable

/əˈkaʊn.tə.bəl/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Required or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible.

As a manager, she felt accountable for her team's performance.

Subject to being called to account; responsible.

The government is accountable to the public for its decisions.

Capable of being explained; explicable.

The outcome of the experiment was not accountable by current scientific theories.

From Middle French 'acontable', from 'acomptable' (liable to be accounted for), from 'acomptare' (to account).

held accountable

To be made responsible for something, especially in a formal way.

accountable leader

A leader who takes responsibility for their actions and the actions of their team.

accountable government

A government that is responsible to its citizens and can be held liable for its actions.

responsibility

The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something.

liability

The state of being responsible for something, especially by law.

transparency

The quality of being done in an open way without secrets.

On the hook

If this project fails, we're going to be on the hook for the budget.

In the hot seat

After the incident, he was really in the hot seat at the meeting.