account for something phrasal verb 1.to form a particular amount or part of something Afro-Americans account for 12% of the US population. 2.to be the reason why something happens synonym: explain
Recent pressure at work may account for his behavior. 3.to give a satisfactory explanation of why something has happened or why you did something synonym: explain
Can you account for your movements on that night? 4.to say where all the members of a group of people or things are, especially because you are worried that some of them may be lost Three days after the earthquake, more than 150 people had still to be accounted for.