人在英国学英语 之一: accountability

今天开了一天的会，是关于 management 和 leadership 的主题。除了 在小组讨论中认识了一些其它部门的中层 和 蹭了顿免费午餐外，最大的收获便是学了一个新单词 accountability. 这个词在今天的会议上是个热门词，我当时琢磨了好一会它的意思。从词根 account 来看，它好像跟‘解释/说明’有关，但是从上下文来看又不大像。

回来一查，原来 accountability 就是 responsibility 的意思，还有 liability or answerability for something。它的同义词有 liability, answerability, culpability, responsibility，看来它的词根 account 跟 answer 还是有点关系的。

Tips: To account for something is to take responsibility or to answer for something. When you are accountable for something, you must answer for it, account for it, or take responsibility for it.

例句：
We don’t have enough accountability in the creative department; no one wants to take responsibility for unacceptable ad concepts. (answerability, responsibility)

How can we account for all the business we lost last month when we meet with the board of directors next Monday? (answer) verb

You're not my boss; I'm not accountable to you. (answerable) adjective

The consumer advocacy group demanded greater accountability from the big energy company. (liability, answerability)

词霸把 Accountability System 翻译成‘问责制’。