responsibility

[ ri-spon-suh-bil-i-tee ]
/ rɪˌspɒn səˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun, plural re·spon·si·bil·i·ties.

the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management.
an instance of being responsible: The responsibility for this mess is yours!
a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible: the responsibilities of authority.
a person or thing for which one is responsible: A child is a responsibility to its parents.
reliability or dependability, especially in meeting debts or payments.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for responsibility

    on one's own responsibility, on one's own initiative or authority: He changed the order on his own responsibility.

Origin of responsibility

First recorded in 1780–90; respons(ible) + -ibility

SYNONYMS FOR responsibility

1 answerability, accountability.

OTHER WORDS FROM responsibility

non·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, noun, plural non·re·spon·si·bil·i·ties.pre·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, noun, plural pre·re·spon·si·bil·i·ties.self-re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, nounsu·per·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, noun, plural su·per·re·spon·si·bil·i·ties.

Words nearby responsibility

response, response generalization, response time, response variable, responser, responsibility, responsible, responsion, responsive, responsiveness, responsor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for non-responsibility

  • They assume the non-responsibility of the community for anything beyond keeping the destitute applicant alive.

    English Poor Law Policy|Sidney Webb

British Dictionary definitions for non-responsibility

responsibility
/ (rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or position of being responsible
a person or thing for which one is responsible
the ability or authority to act or decide on one's own, without supervision
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