answerable

[ an-ser-uh-buhl, ahn- ]

/ ˈæn sər ə bəl, ˈɑn- /

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See synonyms for: answerable / answerability on Thesaurus.com

adjective

liable to be asked to give account; responsible: He is answerable to a committee for all his decisions.

capable of being answered: a question answerable by mail.

proportionate; correlative (usually followed by to).

corresponding; suitable (usually followed by to): The amount is not answerable to my needs.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of answerable

First recorded in 1540–50; answer + -able

Words nearby answerable

ansible, Anson, Ansonia, anstoss, answer, answerable, answerback, answer for, answering machine, answering pennant, answering service

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use answerable in a sentence

As Lepore wrote, “the origins of no other nation are… as answerable to evidence,” as the United States.
The Era of ‘Self-Evident’ Truth Is Over. Today’s America Is Founded on Belief Instead|Jason Steinhauer|July 1, 2022|Time
While the Károlyis are answerable for what they did, this convenient tale is not the whole story.
Why It’s Not Surprising That Simone Biles Cheered For Angelina Melnikova|Dvora Meyers|July 30, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Those people will be answerable obviously to the voters at some point.
Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Defends Controversial Election Law|Sanya Mansoor|April 26, 2021|Time
He says he doesn’t miss the complexity of being answerable to both city and state governments, and he loves working with a “very enlightened” mayor in Khan.
Can Public Transit Survive the Pandemic? London's New Transport Commissioner Wants You to Believe It Can|Ciara Nugent/London|April 2, 2021|Time

The nature of the autocracy—that it was only answerable to itself—meant it could not draw its power from the people.
Kotkin Biography Reveals Stalin's Evil Pragmatism|William O’Connor|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The unit was, according to Hughes, answerable to Adams, the Belfast commander.
Sinn Fein Boss Gerry Adams Wanted This Murder Bust|Ed Moloney|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And yet for an agency that supposedly is answerable to no one, its people sure do testify a lot before Congress.
‘Unaccountable’ CFPB Makes 14 Appearances Before Congress in a Year|Gary Rivlin|February 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Choice B: New bankers appointed by and answerable to the president.
Nationalization Now|Dylan Ratigan|February 5, 2009|DAILY BEAST
This time I am convinced that the second reason is almost wholly answerable for your latest commission.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
Ford is answerable for many of the fixed ideas about Spain which it seems quite impossible to remove.
Spanish Life in Town and Country|L. Higgin and Eugne E. Street
They hold themselves at all times answerable to the law of the land, for their conduct in the trust committed to them.
Select Speeches of Daniel Webster|Daniel Webster
He chooses to return to his original state, and now stands answerable himself, when the time shall come for his trial.
Select Speeches of Daniel Webster|Daniel Webster
And in such case should not I be answerable for any mischief which might ensue?
Frank Fairlegh|Frank E. Smedley

British Dictionary definitions for answerable

answerable

/ (ˈɑːnsərəbəl) /

adjective

(postpositive; foll by for or to) responsible or accountableanswerable for someone's safety; answerable to one's boss

able to be answered

Derived forms of answerable

answerability or answerableness, nounanswerably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

answerable

Origin of answerable

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How to use answerable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for answerable

Derived forms of answerable