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.
But, they argue, such enforcement efforts should be paired with redesigned roads and public education campaigns aimed at getting people to drive more responsibly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
"It is wrong that the journalists who did their job responsibly are now being subjected to an onslaught of abuse."
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
From safety risks to photographing deer responsibly, here is what you need to know about the deer in Richmond Park and Bushy Park.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
As much as we like to think that adults will behave responsibly, you run the risk of the tenant/landlord saying, “I lost $100.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
“I’ll help you figure out how to spend it responsibly, but I won’t take a dime and you won’t bring it up again. Understood?”
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
