irresponsible
Americanadjective
-
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
-
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
adjective
-
not showing or done with due care for the consequences of one's actions or attitudes; reckless
-
not capable of bearing responsibility
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archaic not answerable to a higher authority for one's actions
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irresponsible
First recorded in 1640–50; ir- 2 + responsible
Explanation
If you're irresponsible, you're careless about the consequences of your actions. You can't really rely on irresponsible people. Being irresponsible is the opposite of being responsible and careful — you do what you like and don't care what happens afterward. Forgetting to feed your dog for a week is irresponsible. Splashing around in a mud puddle in your new white pants is irresponsible. Drug use and unsafe sex are irresponsible. When the government runs up a huge deficit, many people think that's irresponsible. If you have to work with someone irresponsible, good luck: you're going to need it.
Vocabulary lists containing irresponsible
Word Generation Social Studies - Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome
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"America the Not-So-Beautiful"
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Words from the First 2020 Presidential Debate
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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.
“How could they possibly want to do this? I was terrified. I really thought it was an act of folly. Irresponsible, even.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2024
In a post on her official website on Friday, Mitchell said: "Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives."
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2022
In April, Netflix debuted the standup comedy special "Irresponsible" from famed actor and comedian Kevin Hart, who finished 2018 as the second-highest-paid comedian in the world behind Jerry Seinfeld.
From Fox News • Jul. 19, 2019
In a blog post last week titled "The Goldwater Rule: Why Breaking it is Unethical and Irresponsible," APA President Maria A. Oquendo reiterated that psychiatrists shouldn't offer opinions about candidates they have not personally examined.
From Washington Post • Aug. 10, 2016
“For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across—hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me.”
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
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.
