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irresponsible
[ ir-i-spon-suh-buhl ]
/ ˌɪr ɪˈspɒn sə bəl /
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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.
OTHER WORDS FOR irresponsible
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Origin of irresponsible
First recorded in 1640–50; ir-2 + responsible
OTHER WORDS FROM irresponsible
ir·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, ir·re·spon·si·ble·ness, nounir·re·spon·si·bly, adverbWords nearby irresponsible
irresolute, irresolution, irresolvable, irrespective, irrespirable, irresponsible, irresponsive, irresuscitable, irretentive, irretraceable, irretrievable
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use irresponsible in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for irresponsible
irresponsible
/ (ˌɪrɪˈspɒnsəbəl) /
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 forms of irresponsible
irresponsibility or irresponsibleness, nounirresponsibly, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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