This paper looks into the motives that justify the perpetuation of the use of the expression accountability in Portuguese. Since the concept erupted in Brazilian academic debates in the early nineties until the moment, there has been no consensus regarding the expression that would better translate accountability into Portuguese. We find a variety of terms in Brazilian literature on public administration such as control, inspection, oversight or responsibility, among others. Choosing an equivalent expression in Portuguese is not random and points out the limits and the meaning accredited to the concept. This paper draws a conclusion that accountability is a polysemic concept still evolving, which makes it difficult to find an adequate equivalent expression in other languages.