Meaning & use

accountability

noun·Academic

The obligation to accept responsibility for one's actions and to explain or justify them to others.

See it in a sentence

The new policy increases accountability by requiring managers to document every decision.

Voters demanded greater accountability from officials after the funding scandal.

A note on using this word

Accountability implies that someone can be called to answer for outcomes, a stronger idea than simple responsibility for a task.

Words with a similar meaning

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