irresponsible
[ir-i-spon-suh-buh l]
- 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.
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- an irresponsible person.
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Origin of irresponsible
Synonyms
See more synonyms for irresponsible on Thesaurus.com1. unreliable, undependable, thoughtless.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for irresponsible
Contemporary Examples
The most irresponsible comments however would have to be those of Donald Trump, since he should know better.
In this context, and at this time, the action by Neil MacGregor and his Trustees might seem not merely naïve, but irresponsible.
Conning people into buying a book to prepare for an "Ebola apocalypse" is not just irresponsible, it's pathetic.
“I think the attacks on Fareed are distorted, irresponsible, and unfair,” Weisberg emailed.
This kind of irresponsible running of the mouth is precisely how medical conspiracies start.
Historical Examples
Decatur Brown laughed—a light, irresponsible, bachelor laugh.
Quaint CourtshipsVarious
It is extraordinary how irresponsible one's thoughts are sometimes.
The Burning SpearJohn Galsworthy
She grew more like the old Helen, irresponsible and charming.
Howards EndE. 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 PaineJoseph C. Lincoln
It is these irresponsible writers who have made "history" to suit their own purposes.
Aztec LandMaturin M. Ballou
irresponsible
- 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
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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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper