accountable for failure

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "accountable for failure" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing responsibility or liability for a lack of success in a particular task or project. Example: "The project manager is accountable for failure to meet the deadline, and the team will need to address the issues that caused the delay."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"Who is accountable for failure?

The New York Times

It is a bureaucratic, risk-averse behemoth that rarely holds its managers accountable for failure.

The New York Times - Books

Senator Phil Gramm, Republican of Texas, said that the resolution held no one accountable for failure and that that was not something America wanted.

The New York Times

Some, like Rosie Saldivar of Houston, complained that the bishops who voted to remove from priestly duties a priest accused of even one act of sexual abuse did not adopt a policy to hold themselves and other church leaders accountable for failure to keep abusive priests from coming into contact with more children.

The New York Times

The jurisprudence that is emerging from the European Court of Human Rights and United Nations treaty bodies is a tool that can be used to render African governments accountable for failure to implement domestic abortion laws.

International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics

And even when Friedman admits that Republicans are more to blame for the lack of compromise, he makes up for it by somehow simultaneously claiming that "history" will hold Obama more accountable for failure to reach a deal.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The strength of human rights lies in its empowerment of people to claim their rights and to hold duty bearers accountable for failures but this requires the political will to develop robust accountability mechanisms [ 37].

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Under the "senior managers regime", senior executives across the financial services sector will be held accountable for failures under their watch under new rules.

Independent

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates did the right thing by holding the Air Force secretary and chief of staff accountable for failures to secure American nuclear weapons properly.

The New York Times

The church, whose investment arm owns shares in the News Corporation, sent a letter to Rupert Murdoch on Friday asking for senior executives to be held accountable for failures at The News of the World newspaper.

The New York Times

"Mr. Vargas's performance highlights a larger issue we have been working to address through our Special Enforcement Plan, which holds architects and engineers who fail to sign off on construction responsible and accountable for failures," Commissioner Lancaster said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "accountable for failure", clearly define the specific responsibilities and expected outcomes to avoid ambiguity. For instance, specify which metrics determine success or failure.

Common error

Avoid using "accountable for failure" when the individual or team doesn't have the necessary resources or authority to achieve the desired outcome. Ensure proper delegation and support are in place.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "accountable for failure" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun (person, team, organization) to indicate who bears the responsibility and consequences when a specific outcome is not achieved. As Ludwig AI explains, it indicates responsibility or liability for a lack of success. Examples in Ludwig highlight contexts where individuals or entities are held responsible for not meeting expectations.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

38%

Formal & Business

19%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "accountable for failure" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that indicates responsibility for negative outcomes. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase denotes responsibility or liability. While not extremely common, the phrase is most frequently found in News & Media and Science contexts, suggesting a neutral to professional register. When using this phrase, it's important to clearly define responsibilities and expected outcomes to avoid ambiguity. Related phrases include "responsible for adverse results" and "liable for unsuccessful outcomes", each carrying slightly different connotations of blame and legal obligation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

responsible for adverse results

Uses synonyms for both "accountable" and "failure", maintaining a similar level of formality.

answerable for poor performance

Substitutes "failure" with "poor performance", softening the negative connotation.

liable for unsuccessful outcomes

Replaces "failure" with a more formal phrase and "accountable" with "liable", indicating legal or financial responsibility.

held to blame for lack of success

Shifts the focus to blame rather than accountability, implying fault.

culpable for deficient results

Emphasizes guilt or fault through the word "culpable", increasing the severity.

chargeable for failing

Indicates a formal accusation or charge related to the failure.

held responsible when things go wrong

A more informal way of expressing responsibility when something goes wrong.

face the music for failure

This idiom suggests facing negative consequences or criticism for a failure.

carry the can for the failure

An informal idiom indicating bearing the responsibility or blame for someone else's failure.

take the rap for failure

An informal and colloquial expression indicating accepting blame or punishment for a failure.

FAQs

How can I use "accountable for failure" in a sentence?

You can use "accountable for failure" to indicate who bears responsibility when something goes wrong. For example, "The project manager was held "accountable for failure" to meet the deadline."

What's a formal alternative to "accountable for failure"?

A more formal alternative is "responsible for unsuccessful outcomes". This phrasing is suitable for legal or business contexts.

What's the difference between "responsible for failure" and "accountable for failure"?

"Responsible for failure" generally means having caused the failure, while "accountable for failure" means being answerable or liable for the consequences, even if you didn't directly cause it.

When should I use "liable for failure" instead of "accountable for failure"?

Use "liable for failure" when there are legal or financial ramifications associated with the failure. This term implies a legal obligation or debt.