responsibility

[ri-spon-suh-bil-i-tee]

noun

plural

responsibilities 

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.

responsibility

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of responsibility¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

   He changed the order on his own responsibility.

Example Sentences

The new body shows that Germany is "assuming its historical responsibility," said Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer.

Read more on Barron's

With thousands of supporters due to travel over the Christmas period, Carse acknowledged the responsibility of keeping the series alive.

Read more on BBC

“We are a nation-in-waiting and we are ready to take responsibility for our own future.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Parliament is also investigating the affair to determine whether any politicians bear criminal responsibility.

Read more on Barron's

Polling from the Century Foundation shows women are having a harder time than men finding good-quality jobs, largely because of care responsibilities and unaffordable options.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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