Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Responsible

//ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bəl// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Having the duty of taking care of something; answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically. postpositional

    "Parents are responsible for their child's behaviour."

  2. 2
    Being a primary cause of a situation or action and thus able to be blamed or credited for it. postpositional

    "Who is responsible for this mess?"

  3. 3
    Answerable to (a superior).
  4. 4
    Involving important duties; involving a degree of personal accountability on the part of the person concerned.

    "She has a responsible position in the firm."

  5. 5
    Having good judgment in decision-making.

    "But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    Able to be trusted; reliable; trustworthy.

    "He looks like a responsible guy."

  2. 7
    Capable of rational conduct and thus morally accountable for one's behavior.
Adjective
  1. 1
    being the agent or cause wordnet
  2. 2
    worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable wordnet
  3. 3
    having an acceptable credit rating wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    The individual who bears the responsibility for something. archaic

    "Were this not so, long since would we have traced directly home the responsibility for the war on Freedom in the Philippines. Long since, would we have hanged the responsibles as traitors to our country."

  2. 2
    An actor taking on the lesser roles in repertory theatre.

    "[…] first appeared on August Bank Holiday, 1901, at Grand Theatre, Llandudno, playing "responsibles" with Edward Compton; […]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle French responsable, from Old French responsable, responsible, formed from the root of Latin responsus, from respondere. The spelling of the English word is taken from the Old French variant responsible. By surface analysis, response + -ible.

Etymology 2

From Middle French responsable, from Old French responsable, responsible, formed from the root of Latin responsus, from respondere. The spelling of the English word is taken from the Old French variant responsible. By surface analysis, response + -ible.

See also for "responsible"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: responsible