responsibility

American  

[ri-spon-suh-bil-i-tee] / rɪˌspɒn səˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

responsibilities plural

1. the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management.

   Synonyms:

   accountability, answerability

2. an instance of being responsible.

   The responsibility for this mess is yours!

3. a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible.

   the responsibilities of authority.

4. a person or thing for which one is responsible.

   A child is a responsibility to their parents.

5. reliability or dependability, especially in meeting debts or payments.

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idioms

1. on one's own responsibility, on one's own initiative or authority.

   He changed the order on his own responsibility.

responsibility British  

/ rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or position of being responsible

2. a person or thing for which one is responsible

3. the ability or authority to act or decide on one's own, without supervision

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preresponsibility
  noun
• self-responsibility
  noun
• superresponsibility
  noun
• nonresponsibility
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• responsibilities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of responsibility

First recorded in 1780–90; respons(ible) + -ibility

Explanation

A responsibility is something you're required to do as an upstanding member of a community. If you're in a band, it's your responsibility to learn the songs and show up to practice on time. Responsibility comes from the Latin responsus, which means "to respond." There are actually a few different definitions of the noun. It can be another word for "trustworthiness," as in, "He demonstrated his responsibility by showing up to practice on time." And it can be used to describe the social force that motivates us to take on individual responsibilities, as in, "A sense of responsibility drove him to memorize all of the songs."

Example Sentences

The figure was 3.4 billion pounds higher than that forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

On May 11, the nonpartisan watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, alleging the venture violated federal gift and travel rules.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

In 1996, he sharply criticized the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which cut federal benefits for many legal immigrants.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

A left-leaning watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, also expressed concerns.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Responsibility for the Touchable Future on their thin but able shoulders.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Related Words

• authority
• burden
• duty
• guilt
• importance
• liability
• obligation
• power
• restraint
• trust