irresponsible

[ir-i-spon-suh-buhl]

adjective

1. said, done, or characterized by a lack of a sense of responsibility.

   His refusal to work shows him to be completely irresponsible.

   Synonyms: thoughtless, undependable, unreliable

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

3. not responsible, answerable, or accountable to higher authority.

   irresponsible as a monarch.

noun

1. an irresponsible person.

irresponsible

/ ˌɪrɪˈspɒnsəbəl /

adjective

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

2. not capable of bearing responsibility

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

Other Word Forms

• irresponsibly adverb
• irresponsibility noun
• irresponsibleness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of irresponsible¹

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

Example Sentences

Win or lose, the union’s handling of members’ money was wasteful and irresponsible.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Multiple California district attorneys’ offices investigated 140 UPS facilities, which uncovered irresponsible waste management practices, officials said.

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The new five-year plan “may help clarify some strategic goals and core principles of the anti-involution campaign, highlighting building a ‘unified national market’, curbing irresponsible local government investment, and improving local consumption,” UBS economists said.

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Meanwhile, Russia is a "capable and irresponsible threat actor in cyberspace", with pro-Moscow "hacktivist" groups operating outside formal state control seeking to target Western nations and organisations.

Read more on Barron's

Tehran struck back, calling the remarks "irresponsible and shameful" and accusing the United States of being "a leading producer of terrorism and a supporter of the terrorist and genocidal Zionist regime".

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• capricious 
• immature 
• thoughtless