What is the English word for “holding someone accountable”?
I often hear the phrase “holding to account for]” in American media (for example, this Sam Seder video ) and I am under the impression that I have never heard it in British media. If you are upset, you’d better have
someone tell you that you’re upset or just an idiot, or you have to blame someone for something.
Merriam-Webster defined this as: “to hold responsible” (at best) I cannot find this phrase in this online Cambridge dictionary or in my old edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1989).
What would be the British English equivalent of “hold to account” for? What is the best way to “hold…” someone responsible?
What are my options for a more economical plan?
The passive form is more regularly met with than the active in the UK. Other than the following definition from Collins Cobuild, and a lack of the active form being mentioned, I don’t think I’ll find very satisfying supporting references for this.
When a reader is called,
held, or brought to account for what they’ve done wrong, they are often made to explain why they did it, and are often criticized or punished for it.
Are ministers lied to for their actions?
Cobuild Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright and logos
HarperCollins Publishers.
