responsibility

[ri-spon-suh-bil-i-tee]

noun

plural

responsibilities 

1. the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management.

   Synonyms: accountability, answerability

2. an instance of being responsible.

   The responsibility for this mess is yours!

3. a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible.

   the responsibilities of authority.

4. a person or thing for which one is responsible.

   A child is a responsibility to their parents.

5. reliability or dependability, especially in meeting debts or payments.

responsibility

/ rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or position of being responsible

2. a person or thing for which one is responsible

3. the ability or authority to act or decide on one's own, without supervision

Other Word Forms

• nonresponsibility noun
• preresponsibility noun
• self-responsibility noun
• superresponsibility noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of responsibility¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on one's own responsibility, on one's own initiative or authority.

   He changed the order on his own responsibility.

Example Sentences

Journalists have a responsibility to not reinforce those narratives, and especially not under the guise of neutrality or balance.

Read more on Salon

All of it requires a lot of food, which has upped the Fioritas’ food bill and Missy’s responsibilities.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Other founders believe it takes multiple people to assume the responsibilities they have accumulated from the beginning.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

While not responding to requests by users for access to data related to its education software, Microsoft "tried to shift all responsibility to local schools" or other national institutions, Noyb said.

Read more on Barron's

Nagy oversees a staff that includes 10 full-time scouts, whose responsibilities include analyzing upcoming opponents, evaluating possible transfer portal entrants, as well as monitoring high-school recruits.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• authority 
• burden 
• duty 
• guilt 
• importance 
• liability 
• obligation 
• power 
• restraint 
• trust