responsibly
Americanadverb
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in a sensible, trustworthy, and prudent way.
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in a way that reflects a duty or responsibility.
Explanation
When you do something in a careful, trustworthy way, you do it responsibly. If you spend your money responsibly, you'll probably be able to save some of it. Acting responsibly is important in life — it's what makes people trust you, and it means you usually do things only after thinking them over and choosing what's wisest or most sensible. You can't get a driver's license until you prove you can drive responsibly. And, before someone hires you to babysit, they'll want to know you act responsibly. The Latin root is respons-, "answerable" or "offered in return."
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.
"We cannot accept these attacks under any circumstances, regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered. We call on all parties to act responsibly on this matter," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday attacks aimed at civilian vessels in the Black Sea were unacceptable, urging Russia and Ukraine to "act responsibly".
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
While Luton may have got their recruitment wrong, they were much more responsibly run compared to the other double drop clubs.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
This summer, he spent his nights agonizing over every word of a proposal for developing the technology responsibly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
“Be polite, act responsibly, help clean up. Do not make me regret letting you go,” Lou Ann calls as I run out to Ana’s mom’s car.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
