accountability

accountability — noun

1. the duty to explain or justify your decisions, actions, or results to other peop

1.名詞C1
釋義

the duty to explain or justify your decisions, actions, or results to other people, and to face consequences when something goes wrong.

例句

Voters in Taipei demanded greater accountability from the mayor after the construction scandal.

accountability from + person in authority

The new law improves accountability for how schools spend public money.

accountability for + activity or outcome

同義詞
  • responsibility

    broader; covers duties before AND after, while 'accountability' focuses on answering for the result

  • answerability

    near-synonym; rarer and more formal, often used in legal or governance writing

  • liability

    narrower; legal or financial exposure rather than the wider duty to explain

反義詞
  • impunity

    freedom from being punished or questioned for wrong actions

文法句型

accountability for + noun phrase

accountability to + person or group

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable and used in formal contexts about institutions, leaders, or professionals. Subject is typically a person or organisation in a position of power; the implied audience is the public, voters, customers, or a higher authority.

常見錯誤

❌She has many accountabilities at work.
✅She has many responsibilities at work.
💡'accountability' is uncountable; use 'responsibility' or 'duties' for individual tasks.
❌He took accountability of the mistake.
✅He took accountability for the mistake.
💡'accountability' pairs with 'for', not 'of'.