Meanings
comparative more accountable · superlative most accountable
- Obliged, when called upon, to answer (for one’s deeds); answerable.
Everyone is accountable to God for their conduct.
2 more examples
You will be held accountable for your misdemeanors.
"Because the railway is economically and socially vital, it receives large amounts of public money and must therefore ultimately be accountable to government. [...]
2020 April 22, Philip Haigh, “Labour's blueprint for the future of Britain's railways”, in Rail, page 28 - formalrareCapable of being accounted for; explicable; explainable.
True religion . . . intelligible, rational, and accountable, -- not a burden but a privilege.
1703, Benjamin Whichcote, Moral and Religious Aphorisms
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveliable to account for one's actions
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From account + -able. First attested around 1400.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans verantwoordelik, aanspreeklik
- verantwoordelikobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- aanspreeklikobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Ancient Greek ὑπεύθυνος
- ὑπεύθυνος (hupeúthunos)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
Arabic مُحَاسَب, مَسْؤُول
- مُحَاسَب (muḥāsab)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
- مَسْؤُول (masʔūl)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
Bulgarian отговорен, подотчетен
- отговорен (otgovoren)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
- подотчетен (podotčeten)liable to be called on to render an account
Chinese Mandarin 有責任的 /有责任的, 有解說義務的 /有解说义务的
- 有責任的 /有责任的obliged to answer for one’s deeds
- 有解說義務的 /有解说义务的obliged to answer for one’s deeds
Danish ansvarlig
- ansvarligobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Dutch verantwoordelijk, aansprakelijk
- verantwoordelijkobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- aansprakelijkobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- verklaarbaarcapable of being accounted for; explicable
Estonian vastutav
- vastutavobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Finnish vastuullinen, vastuunalainen
- vastuullinenobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- vastuunalainenobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- tilivelvollinenobliged to keep accurate records
- tilintekovelvollinenobliged to keep accurate records
- vastuullinenliable to be called on to render an account
- vastuunalainenliable to be called on to render an account
- selittyväcapable of being accounted for; explicable
French responsable, responsable
- responsableobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- responsableliable to be called on to render an account
- expliquablecapable of being accounted for; explicable
German verantwortlich
- verantwortlichobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Greek αρμόδιος, υπόλογος
- αρμόδιος (armódios)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
- υπόλογος (ypólogos)liable to be called on to render an account
- ευεξήγητος (evexígitos)capable of being accounted for; explicable
Hindi उत्तरदायी
- उत्तरदायी (uttardāyī)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
Hungarian felelős, felelősségre vonható
- felelősobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- felelősségre vonhatóobliged to answer for one’s deeds
- elszámoltathatóliable to be called on to render an account
Icelandic skýranlegur
- skýranlegurcapable of being accounted for; explicable
Italian responsabile
- responsabileobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Persian پاسخگو
- پاسخگو (pâsox-gu)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
Polish odpowiedzialny
- odpowiedzialnyobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Portuguese responsável
- responsávelobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Russian отве́тственный, подотчётный
- отве́тственный (otvétstvennyj)obliged to answer for one’s deeds
- подотчётный (podotčótnyj)obliged to keep accurate records
- подотчётный (podotčótnyj)liable to be called on to render an account
- объясни́мый (obʺjasnímyj)capable of being accounted for; explicable
Slovak zúčtovateľný
- zúčtovateľnýobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Spanish hacer rendir cuentas
- hacer rendir cuentasobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Swedish ansvarig
- ansvarigobliged to answer for one’s deeds
Cite this entry
accountable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accountable
“accountable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accountable. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “accountable,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accountable.
Source: accountable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.