˜yĞÄvlog

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View synonyms for

accountability

[ uh-koun-tuh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

  1. the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable.
  2. Education. a policy of holding schools and teachers accountable for students' academic progress by linking such progress with funding for salaries, maintenance, etc.


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Other ˜yĞÄvlog Forms

  • ²Ô´Ç²Ô·²¹³¦Â·³¦´Ç³Ü²Ô³Ù·²¹Â·²ú¾±±ô·¾±Â·³Ù²â noun
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˜yĞÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of accountability1

First recorded in 1785–95; account(able) + -ability
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

That toughening was welcomed by the public as an antidote to a judicial system stymied by an indulgent culture of successive appeals that enabled – and sometimes still enables - politicians to dodge accountability for decades.

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“Metro’s accountability is so lacking that residents are that frustrated,†she said.

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There was an outcry of grief along with calls for accountability.

From

But it focused particularly on the lack of accountability at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a joint agency formed in the 1990s to manage homeless services for the city and county.

From

The PAC warned of a "gap in accountability to parliament" over the money lent to rugby union, due to "a conflict of interest" involving a senior civil servant's connections with the sport.

From

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More About Accountability

What doesÌıaccountability mean?

Accountability is the obligation to explain, justify, and take responsibility for one’s actions.

Accountability is the state of being accountable, meaning responsible for something or obligated to answer to someone, such as a person with more authority, like a boss.

The word accountability is often used in the context of individuals, especially in the term personal accountability. It is also commonly used in the context of institutions or people that are responsible to the public, such as the government, its agencies, politicians, and the media. Accountability is often discussed with transparency and consequences. This typically involves keeping people and organizations accountable by making their actions visible and having consequences when those actions are not acceptable.

Example: The system of checks and balances is intended to ensure accountability among the different branches of government.

Where doesÌıaccountability come from?

The first records of the word accountability come from the 1700s. Its base word, account, is often used as a verb meaning “to justify†or “to explain,†as in How do you account for your actions? To be accountable, then, is to be able to account for one’s actions, and accountability is the state of being able to account for one’s actions.

There can be no accountability without an account—meaning a record of what happened, or at least the knowledge of it. If actions are hidden, there can be no accountability for them. This means that personal accountability starts with honesty, and accountability in institutions and organizations starts with transparency (such as access to documents). Accountability also involves establishing consequences. Otherwise, people and institutions would be free to do whatever they wanted—leading to corruption. In this way, accountability usually involves methods intended to prevent too much power from being held in one place. For individuals, it often involves recognizing shortcomings (such as implicit bias) and working to overcome them.

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What are some other forms related to accountability?

What are some synonyms for accountability?

What are some words that share a root or word element with accountability?Ìı

What are some words that often get used in discussing accountability?

How isÌı²¹³¦³¦´Ç³Ü²Ô³Ù²¹²ú¾±±ô¾±³Ù²âÌıused in real life?

Accountability is discussed in the context of both organizations and individuals.

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Try usingÌıaccountability!

True or False?Ìı

Accountability usually requires transparency and consequences.

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