response

American  

[ri-spons] / rɪˈspɒns /

noun

responses plural

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.

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response British  

/ 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

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response Scientific  

/ rĭ-spŏns′ /

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

2. See more at classical conditioning

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Synonym Usage

See answer.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• responseless
  adjective
• counterresponse
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• responses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of response

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; see respond

Explanation

A response is a reaction to a question, experience, or some other type of stimulus. If you cry at sad movies, you're having an emotional response to the drama that's taking place on the screen. A response can come in many forms, including an answer to a question, an emotional reaction, or a reply. If a teacher asks, "Who invented the phonograph?" She hopes her students will give her the response, "Why, Thomas Edison, of course!" When a parent tells a child not to cross the street when the light is red, he hopes the response will be compliance.

Example Sentences

The Burned Area Emergency Response team is expected to complete its on-island work this week, before finalizing a report and making recommendations.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

The city’s website describes the Crisis Response Team as “volunteers from all walks of life who provide immediate, on-scene, practical, and emotional support to survivors impacted by personal tragedies,” including homicides.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

New Zealand's former prime minister Helen Clark, co-chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, said the failure to reach agreement this week was "deeply regrettable".

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Response ads the campaign did draft, the New York Times reported, tested poorly in focus groups and were never aired.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

“But according to Party sources Trivandrum Response was much more better.”

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Related Words

• feedback
• reply
• return