responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.
the bureau responsible for revenue collection
answerable suggests a relation between one having a moral or legal obligation and a court or other authority charged with oversight of its observance.
an intelligence agency answerable to Congress
accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation.
elected officials are accountable to the voters
amenable and liable stress the fact of subjection to review, censure, or control by a designated authority under certain conditions.
laws are amenable to judicial review
not liable for the debts of the former spouse
Example Sentences
If anything goes wrong I will hold you personally accountable! the owner was held accountable for his dog's biting of the child
Recent Examples on the WebHow is the state holding local police departments accountable? Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2022 Lawmakers at both state and federal levels must work with victim advocates to craft new laws that halt the spread of nude images and hold individual perpetrators and their enablers legally accountable through the courts. Danielle Keats Citron, CNN, 15 Sep. 2022 The show offers up a narrative with a consistent message: that the system holds bad people accountable, Oliver said. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 And then there’s an effective, purposeful way that the city manager is held accountable in getting all that resolved and taken care of. Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2022 Prosecutors should be accountable within the executive branch, not left to languish outside the tripartite system of government.WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 The use of mass records requests by the former president’s supporters effectively weaponizes laws aimed at promoting principles of a democratic system - that the government should be transparent and accountable. Amy Gardner And Patrick Marley, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Sep. 2022 Caravan works with accountable-care organizations, which are groups of hospitals, doctors and other providers who serve Medicare patients.CBS News, 6 Sep. 2022 As America increasingly moves to wind, solar and other renewable energies, who maintains that infrastructure and keeps it safe – and who holds the industry accountable is a big unanswered question.oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English accountable, accomptable, borrowed from Anglo-French acomptable, from acunter "to account entry 2" + -able-able