irresponsible

[ir-i-spon-suh-buhl]

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adjective

said, done, or characterized by a lack of a sense of responsibility: His refusal to work shows him to be completely irresponsible.

not capable of or qualified for responsibility, as due to age, circumstances, or a mental deficiency.

not responsible, answerable, or accountable to higher authority: irresponsible as a monarch.

noun

an irresponsible person.

Origin of irresponsible

First recorded in 1640–50; ir-² + responsible

Related formsir·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, ir·re·spon·si·ble·ness, nounir·re·spon·si·bly, adverb

Synonyms for irresponsible

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1. unreliable, undependable, thoughtless.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for irresponsible

capricious, immature, thoughtless, immoral, carefree, devil-may-care, feckless, fickle, flighty, fly-by-night, giddy, harebrained, incautious, lax, loose, rash, scatterbrained, shiftless, unaccountable, undependable

Examples from the Web for irresponsible

Contemporary Examples of irresponsible

The most irresponsible comments however would have to be those of Donald Trump, since he should know better.
2014: Revenge of the Creationists
Karl W. Giberson
December 27, 2014
In this context, and at this time, the action by Neil MacGregor and his Trustees might seem not merely naïve, but irresponsible.
Britain Has Lost Its Marbles: Elgin Loan Will Appease Putin
Geoffrey Robertson
December 5, 2014
Conning people into buying a book to prepare for an "Ebola apocalypse" is not just irresponsible, it's pathetic.
The Sham, Scaremongering Guide to Ebola
Abby Haglage
November 20, 2014
“I think the attacks on Fareed are distorted, irresponsible, and unfair,” Weisberg emailed.
Can Fareed Zakaria Survive A Plagiarism Firestorm?
Lloyd Grove
November 12, 2014
This kind of irresponsible running of the mouth is precisely how medical conspiracies start.
George Will, Fox News, and the Beginning of an Ebola Conspiracy
Russell Saunders
October 22, 2014

Historical Examples of irresponsible

Decatur Brown laughed—a light, irresponsible, bachelor laugh.
Quaint Courtships
Various
It is extraordinary how irresponsible one's thoughts are sometimes.
The Burning Spear
John Galsworthy
She grew more like the old Helen, irresponsible and charming.
Howards End
E. M. Forster
If he had not been weak and ill and irresponsible for what he was saying I think I should.
The Rise of Roscoe Paine
Joseph C. Lincoln
It is these irresponsible writers who have made "history" to suit their own purposes.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for irresponsible

irresponsible

adjective

not showing or done with due care for the consequences of one's actions or attitudes; reckless

not capable of bearing responsibility

archaic not answerable to a higher authority for one's actions

Derived Formsirresponsibility or irresponsibleness, nounirresponsibly, 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

Word Origin and History for irresponsible

adj.

1640s, "not legally answerable for conduct or actions," from assimilated form of in- (1) "not, opposite of" + responsible. Meaning "not acting with a sense of responsibility" is from 1680s. Related: Irresponsibly.