irresponsible
Americanadjective
-
said, done, or characterized by a lack of a sense of responsibility.
His refusal to work shows him to be completely irresponsible.
- Synonyms:
- thoughtless, undependable, unreliable
-
not capable of or qualified for responsibility, as due to age, circumstances, or a mental deficiency.
-
not responsible, answerable, or accountable to higher authority.
irresponsible as a monarch.
noun
adjective
-
not showing or done with due care for the consequences of one's actions or attitudes; reckless
-
not capable of bearing responsibility
-
archaic not answerable to a higher authority for one's actions
Other Word Forms
- irresponsibility noun
- irresponsibleness noun
- irresponsibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of irresponsible
First recorded in 1640–50; ir- 2 + responsible
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It would be very, very irresponsible for Western companies to continue to wait until we have a peaceful country,” Guy Robert Lukama, former chairman of Gécamines, Congo’s state-owned mining company, told the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Until the underlying biology of so-called cured patients is better understood, they say, it’s premature, and perhaps even irresponsible, to use the term.
From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026
"Any insinuation, without evidence, that a member of the government engaged in these acts is baseless and irresponsible," a White House spokesperson told several media outlets.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
“However, any implication that Administration officials are engaged in such activity without evidence is baseless and irresponsible reporting.”
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026
In these ash heaps lay a lost and delightful world, the world of my childhood, the world of sweet and irresponsible days at Qunu and Mqhekezweni.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
