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accountability

Etymology and origin of the English word accountability

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1750

Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/, US /əˌkaʊn.t̬əˈbɪl.ə.t̬i/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from accountable and -ity.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The state of being answerable: 1750 in Merriam-Webster, 1770 in Etymonline, 1794 in the OED.[3][2][4]

Semantic evolution

An earlier word was accountableness, from the 1660s.[2]

Timeline

  • 1660s – accountableness.[2]
  • 1750 – accountability.[3]
  • 1794 – liability to give account.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The state of being accountable; responsibility and the duty to explain one's actions.

Word family

  • nonaccountability

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Accountability.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/accountability. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·