english
                    
                    
                    
                        1
                           general:: 
                           Hold answerable, as in One day soon we'll be called to account for the child's behavior. [Mid-1500s] 1. Challenge or contest, as in The IRS is bound to call us to account on these deductions. [First half of 1800s] 2.
                           
                           
                           
                           
                        
    
                       
                    
                        
                        
                        
                    
 
                    
                        American Heritage Idioms
                    
                    
                    
                        2
                           general:: 
                           Phrase(s): call someone to account  to ask one to explain and justify one’s behavior, policy, performance, etc.  •  The sergeant called the police officer to account.  •  I called my workers to account for the accident.
                           
                           
                           
                           
                        
    
                       
                    
                        
                        
                        
                    
 
                    
                        McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs