response

American  

[ri-spons] / rɪˈspɒns /

noun

• responses
  plural

1. an answer or reply, as in words or in some action.

   Synonyms:

   rejoinder

2. Biology. any behavior of a living organism that results from an external or internal stimulus.

3. Ecclesiastical.

   1. a verse, sentence, phrase, or word said or sung by the choir or congregation in reply to the officiant.

   2. responsory.

4. Bridge. a bid based on an evaluation of one's hand relative to the previous bid of one's partner.

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response British  

/ rɪˈspɒns /

noun

1. the act of responding; reply or reaction

2. bridge a bid replying to a partner's bid or double

3. (usually plural) Christianity a short sentence or phrase recited or sung by the choir or congregation in reply to the officiant at a church service

4. electronics the ratio of the output to the input level, at a particular frequency, of a transmission line or electrical device

5. any pattern of glandular, muscular, or electrical reactions that arises from stimulation of the nervous system

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response Scientific  

/ rĭ-spŏns′ /

1. A reaction, as that of an organism or any of its parts, to a specific stimulus.

2. See more at classical conditioning

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Synonym Usage

See answer.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterresponse
  noun
• responseless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• responses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of response

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin respōnsum, noun use of neuter past participle of respondēre “to reply, answer”; replacing Middle English respounse, from Middle French respons, from Latin, as above; see respond

Explanation

A response is a reaction to a question, experience, or some other type of stimulus. If you cry at sad movies, you're having an emotional response to the drama that's taking place on the screen. A response can come in many forms, including an answer to a question, an emotional reaction, or a reply. If a teacher asks, "Who invented the phonograph?" She hopes her students will give her the response, "Why, Thomas Edison, of course!" When a parent tells a child not to cross the street when the light is red, he hopes the response will be compliance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

response responses

In response, Burnham said last week: "We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine's hour of need and that won't change."

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

In response, Raman said her committee focused on data to make sure the city’s investment in fighting homelessness is paying off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

He added that the new tariffs are “a focused response to protect and defend our industries and allow them to compete with U.S. products in the Canadian market.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

The decision to drop Sinclair for Gray in St. Louis wasn’t in response to retaliation for last year’s Kimmel episode, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

I can ask her what she means or come up with some clever response.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

County and state officials are gaming out responses to immigration raids near voting centers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

It could also give scientists a clearer understanding of why vaccination produces powerful immune responses in some people but weaker ones in others.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

There were several themes in your responses, but the overarching advice was this: Keep traveling!

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Thursday’s initial responses to “Megxit II: Montecito’s Revenge,” as the Page Six newsletter branded the move, were typically caustic.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

It was such an unthinkable prospect that the only responses I could imagine him having were melodramatic and improbable.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• feedback
• reply
• return