unaccountable

adjective

un·​ac·​count·​able ˌən-ə-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl How to pronounce unaccountable (audio)
1
: not to be accounted for : inexplicable, strange
2
: not to be called to account : not responsible
unaccountability noun

Examples of unaccountable in a Sentence

She has shown an unaccountable reluctance to accept their offer. the decorator's client has an unaccountable dislike for that color
Recent Examples on the Web Like Donald Trump, the Trudeau Liberals have so often behaved in so unaccountable a fashion and created such negative results that the latest outrage is unlikely to move the needle much. Matthew Lau, National Review, 2 Feb. 2024 All this bile, hyperbole, and conspiracy theorizing has an actual, material effect: to reinforce a status quo dominated by unaccountable global multinational corporations. Jan Dutkiewicz, The New Republic, 17 Apr. 2023 Governments everywhere did many absurd and unaccountable things during the Covid pandemic, but one, at least, is now being held accountable by the courts. Matthew Lau, National Review, 2 Feb. 2024 And it is viewed by many as a powerful yet unaccountable organization that doesn’t reflect the needs or wants of all society. Simon Constable, Fox News, 21 Jan. 2024 These companies apparently have the effrontery to resist the attempts to reduce their access to capital being organized, primarily, by a largely unaccountable cabal of activists, financial institutions, and state pension funds. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 7 Jan. 2024 Americans have lost faith because government is increasingly unaccountable to the people. WSJ, 28 Nov. 2023 Contemporary battles over social media are rooted in the sense that the people and processes governing online spaces are unaccountable to the communities that gather in them. Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci, The Conversation, 24 Oct. 2023 Its politicians are in a venal class of their own, more unaccountable than any others in the eurozone. Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unaccountable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unaccountable was in 1643

Dictionary Entries Near unaccountable

Cite this Entry

“Unaccountable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unaccountable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unaccountable

adjective
un·​ac·​count·​able ˌən-ə-ˈkau̇nt-ə-bəl How to pronounce unaccountable (audio)
1
2
: not to be called to account : not responsible
unaccountably
-blē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unaccountable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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