response

[ri-spons]

noun

1. an answer or reply, as in words or in some action.

   Synonyms: rejoinder

2. Biology.,  any behavior of a living organism that results from an external or internal stimulus.

3. Ecclesiastical.

   1. a verse, sentence, phrase, or word said or sung by the choir or congregation in reply to the officiant.

   2. responsory.

4. Bridge.,  a bid based on an evaluation of one's hand relative to the previous bid of one's partner.

response

/ rɪˈspɒns /

noun

1. the act of responding; reply or reaction

2. bridge a bid replying to a partner's bid or double

3. (usually plural) Christianity a short sentence or phrase recited or sung by the choir or congregation in reply to the officiant at a church service

4. electronics the ratio of the output to the input level, at a particular frequency, of a transmission line or electrical device

5. any pattern of glandular, muscular, or electrical reactions that arises from stimulation of the nervous system

response

1. A reaction, as that of an organism or any of its parts, to a specific stimulus.

2. See more at classical conditioning

Other Word Forms

• responseless adjective
• counterresponse noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of response¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin respōnsum, noun use of neuter past participle of respondēre “to reply, answer”; replacing Middle English respounse, from Middle French respons, from Latin, as above; respond

Word History and Origins

Origin of response¹

C14: from Latin rēsponsum answer, from rēspondēre to _respond

Synonym Study

See answer.

Example Sentences

Israel launched the war in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, when around 1,200 people were killed, mostly Israeli civilians, and 251 were taken hostage.

Read more on BBC

In response to the BBC's findings, the government told us it has a "mission to halve knife crime" and "schools have the power to implement security measures, including knife arches, where necessary".

Read more on BBC

Hamas, in response, said it still expected to have some role in governing Gaza.

Read more on BBC

Los Angeles firefighters were hampered by a lack of resources for red flag weather conditions in their initial response to the Palisades fire, an internal after-action review report found.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In a letter sent to Department of Justice Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, Democratic lawmakers lambasted the White House’s “conflicting and increasingly desperate statements” in response to allegations of bribery leveled at Homan.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• feedback 
• reply 
• return