bring / call sb to account

/bɹˈɪŋ kˈɔːl ˌɛsbˈiː tʊ ɐkˈaʊnt/

to bring / call sb to account

to formally confront someone and demand an explanation for their conduct and actions, especially those in positions of authority who are deemed responsible

to [bring|call] {sb} to account definition and meaning

What is the origin of the idiom "bring someone to account" and when to use it?

The idiom "bring someone to account" originated from the Middle English period and has roots in Old French and Latin. The word "account" comes from the Old French word "aconter," which means "to reckon" or "to count." This term was derived from the Latin word "computare," meaning "to calculate." Over time, it came to be used in legal and administrative contexts to refer to the act of holding someone responsible or making them answer for their actions.

Examples

1. I mean, how do you bring them to account?

2. Bring them to account.

3. We might say that this story, like the story of Cain and Abel before it, and like the story we will read later of Sodom and Gomorrah, this story presupposes this universal moral law that Sarna and Kaufman and others have talked about, this universal moral law that seems to govern the world, and if God sees infractions of it, then as supreme judge he brings humans to account.

4. If a guy wants to say that man is a goddamn liar, somebody will call him to account and say that was a violation of personal privilege and you should cut it out.

Nearby words

bring to a grinding halt

bring the house down

bring sand to the beach