What does "responsible" mean?
The individual who bears the responsibility for something.
Responsible
/ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The individual who bears the responsibility for something.
- Grammar: responsible is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accountable, accountable, accountable leadership, administrative.
- Useful contrasts: feckless, irresponsible, blameless.
- Usage evidence: Blindness is responsible for a staggering toll of poor health, suffering, and loss of dignity and diminution in the quality of lives of people worldwide.
How to use "responsible"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "responsible" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "responsible" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "responsible" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "responsible" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "responsible" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accountable" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "responsible", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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 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; […]"
Adjective
- 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 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 Answerable to (a superior).
- 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 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
- 6 Able to be trusted; reliable; trustworthy.
"He looks like a responsible guy."
- 7 Capable of rational conduct and thus morally accountable for one's behavior.
Adjective
- 1 being the agent or cause wordnet
- 2 worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable wordnet
- 3 having an acceptable credit rating wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Blindness is responsible for a staggering toll of poor health, suffering, and loss of dignity and diminution in the quality of lives of people worldwide."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "responsible"?
Common synonyms include: accountable, accountable, accountable leadership, administrative, amenable, animal-welfare.
How do you use "responsible" in a sentence?
Blindness is responsible for a staggering toll of poor health, suffering, and loss of dignity and diminution in the quality of lives of people worldwide.
How do you pronounce "responsible"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bəl/.
Etymology
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.