on someone's account

USAGE SUMMARY

"on someone's account" is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It means "because of someone" or "for someone's sake." This phrase can be used in various contexts, but it often implies that someone's actions are motivated or affected by another person. For example: 1. "She decided to quit her job on her father's account, as he was constantly pressuring her to take on a different career." 2. "On his wife's account, he stopped drinking and started going to the gym regularly." 3. "Please don't do anything reckless on my account. I don't want you to get hurt because of me." 4. "He refused to attend the event on his ex-girlfriend's account, as he didn't want to make her uncomfortable." 5. "On her account, the whole family decided to move to a different city so she could pursue her dream job."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Today's release changes that: clicking on someone's account name will launch a more robust popover window, which displays both the user's key stats (number of comments, homepage, etc).

TechCrunch

She is concerned that usage of "banned" hashtags could have an effect on someone's account, such as banning.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

On a Friday night you can find her disrupting the status quo or watching Netflix on someone else's account.

Vice

Make sure you're not on someone else's account or else the tracked tags will not save for you.

WikiHow

Though "Pokémon trainer" may never become a real-world career especially because it's against the rules to play on someone else's account, whoops!—people aren't going to stop trying to turn the game into a job.

Vice

Questioning of this account must be based on inconsistent objective data, not on someone else's account of motives for agreed-upon acts.

BMC Psychiatry

As her Instagram bio notes, "You've probably seen my art on someone else's account".

Vice

But teen-age gossip is no longer passed around in whispers and paper notes; it's fixed, in digital form, on someone's Facebook wall or Twitter account.

The New Yorker

You've likely seen them plastered across your social media accounts, if not on someone's feet in San Francisco, where the company is based: attractive women's flats in bright red with black soles, or bright red with pink stripes and blue detailing, or a gray camo pattern with a red sole.

TechCrunch

"HeavyLight" was inspired by the psychedelic writings of Dr. Timothy Leary, and it does drone on and on like someone's avid account of an acid trip.

The New York Times - Arts

What may have been a helpful feature on paper to stop users from accidentally using someone else's account on a shared computer has blown up in Google's faces — and not because of the decision, but because users weren't given a choice.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "on someone's account" to clearly indicate that a decision or action is being taken because of, or for the benefit of, a specific person. It emphasizes the influence or responsibility of that individual.

Common error

Avoid using "on account of" when you mean "on someone's account". "On account of" refers to a general reason or explanation, while "on someone's account" refers specifically to a person's influence or benefit. For instance, say "He did it on his brother's account", not "He did it on account of his brother".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "on someone's account" primarily functions as a prepositional phrase indicating the reason or motive behind an action. It specifies that something is done because of someone's influence, wishes, or for their benefit. Ludwig confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

50%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "on someone's account" is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that something is done because of someone, or for their sake. Ludwig confirms this usage, showing it as grammatically correct and relatively common in both News & Media and Wiki contexts. While the phrase is versatile, it's important to distinguish it from "on account of", which refers to a general reason rather than a person's direct influence. When writing, use "on someone's account" to clearly attribute motivation or causation to a specific individual.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

because of someone

This alternative directly indicates the reason or cause being attributed to someone.

for someone's sake

This alternative emphasizes the benefit or concern for someone as the primary motivation.

due to someone's influence

This alternative specifically highlights the impact or sway someone has.

owing to someone

A more formal way of saying "because of someone", implying a sense of debt or obligation.

on behalf of someone

This alternative indicates acting as a representative or advocate for someone.

at someone's urging

This suggests that someone's encouragement or prompting led to the action.

on someone's recommendation

This specifies that advice or endorsement from someone prompted the action.

motivated by someone

This focuses on the internal drive or inspiration provided by someone.

influenced by someone

This indicates that someone's ideas or actions had an effect on the decision or action.

by reason of someone

A more formal and less common way of saying "because of someone".

FAQs

What does "on someone's account" mean?

The phrase "on someone's account" means because of someone, or for someone's sake. It implies that a decision or action is influenced by or benefits a particular person.

How can I use "on someone's account" in a sentence?

You can use "on someone's account" to show that a decision was made due to another person's influence, like in the sentence, "She accepted the job offer "for her mother's sake"".

Are there any synonyms for "on someone's account"?

Yes, you can use phrases such as "because of someone", "for someone's sake", or "due to someone's influence" depending on the context.

Is "on account of" the same as "on someone's account"?

No, "on account of" refers to a general reason or explanation, while "on someone's account" specifically attributes the reason to a person's influence or benefit. Make sure to use them in their respective correct contexts.