English verb: account for | |||
1. | account for (stative) be the reason or explanation for | ||
Samples | The recession accounts for the slow retail business. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | be | ||
2. | account for (communication) give reasons for | ||
Samples | Can you account for all these absences?. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | explain, explicate | ||