Accountable
What it means
Prepared to explain one's choices and own their consequences.
Reach for it when praising responsibility that includes honest follow-through
An accountable director published the missed targets with the revised plan.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday | |
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| warm | |
| professional |
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| formal |
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everyday
Fits when consistent follow-through matters more than reporting failures
Careful Reliability describes dependability, not the obligation to give an account.
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everyday
Fits when duties and outcomes clearly belong to the person
Careful Someone may hold responsibility without openly answering for the result.
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warm
Fits when others can count on the person to do what was promised
Careful For admitting an error and correcting it, accountable is the precise compliment.
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warm
Fits when the broad character judgment is that confidence is deserved
Careful This is wider than accountability and can hide which behavior earned the trust.
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professional
Fits when principled choices are the main evidence
Careful Ethics covers what is right; accountable covers who must explain and repair.
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professional
Fits when decisions and information are made visible to others
Careful Openness is not accountability unless the person also owns the consequences.
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formal
answerable
Fits when a duty to explain conduct to a person or institution is central
Careful It can sound punitive when voluntary ownership is what you admire.
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formal
Fits when careful moral attention to duties is the quality being praised
Careful Private care does not guarantee public ownership when something goes wrong.
Opposites 3
- irresponsible
- unanswerable
- evasive
Common phrases 3
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accountable leader
An accountable leader names both the decision and its owner.
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hold accountable
The charter lets residents hold accountable anyone who controls the fund.
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remain accountable
Independent audits help the board remain accountable after leadership changes.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated