account for phrasal verb

1. to be the explanation or cause of something synonym explain
   • The poor weather may have accounted for the small crowd.
   • Oh well, that accounts for it (= I understand now why it happened).
   • The differences in achievement between the pupils are partly accounted for by differences in age.

   Topics Change, cause and effectb2

   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

   • fully
   • partly
   • adequately
   • …

   See full entry

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2. to give an explanation of something synonym explain
   • How do you account for the show’s success?
   • He was unable to account for the error.
   • The increase can be fully accounted for.

   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

   • fully
   • partly
   • adequately
   • …

   See full entry

3. to be a particular amount or part of something
   • The Japanese market accounts for 35 per cent of the company’s revenue.

   language bank at proportion

1. to know where somebody/something is or what has happened to them, especially after an accident
   • All passengers have now been accounted for.
   • Three files cannot be accounted for.
2. (informal) to defeat or destroy somebody/something
   • Their anti-aircraft guns accounted for five enemy bombers.

1. to give a record of how the money in your care has been spent
   • We have to account for every penny we spend on business trips.

See account for in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary