Accountability
/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/noun
The obligation to explain, justify, and accept responsibility for one's actions or decisions.
Did you know?The core ancestor of “account” is Latin computare, meaning “to calculate together,” linking moral responsibility to the older image of settling a precise ledger.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
computāre
“To calculate, reckon, or sum together; formed from com- “together” and putāre “to reckon or think.””
Late Latin
Latin
computare
“To calculate or make an accounting; the source of the Romance and English forms.”
Medieval French
Old French
acompter
“To count, reckon, calculate, or give an account; formed with a- plus compter.”
12th–13th Century
Anglo-Norman
acunter
“To count, reckon, or render an account.”
Middle English
English
accounten
“To count, estimate, explain, or report financially or verbally.”
16th Century
English
accountable
“Liable to give an account or answer for conduct.”
18th Century
English
accountability
“The state or quality of being accountable; responsibility for one's actions.”