responsible

[ ri-spon-suh-buhl ]

/ rɪˈspɒn sə bəl /

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See synonyms for responsible on Thesaurus.com

adjective

answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often followed by to or for): He is responsible to the president for his decisions.

involving accountability or responsibility, as in having the power to control or manage: promoted to a responsible position in the firm.

chargeable with being the author, cause, or occasion of something (usually followed by for): Termites were responsible for the damage.

having a capacity for moral decisions and therefore accountable; capable of rational thought or action: The defendant is not responsible for his actions.

able to discharge obligations or pay debts.

reliable or dependable, as in meeting debts, conducting business dealings, etc.

(of a government, member of a government, government agency, or the like) answerable to or serving at the discretion of an elected legislature or the electorate.

OTHER WORDS FOR responsible

1 liable.

4 competent.

5 solvent.

6 honest, capable, reliable, trustworthy.

See synonyms for responsible on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of responsible

1590–1600; <Latin respōns(us) (see response) + -ible

OTHER WORDS FROM responsible

re·spon·si·ble·ness, nounre·spon·si·bly, adverbin·ter·re·spon·si·ble, adjectivenon·re·spon·si·ble, adjective

non·re·spon·si·ble·ness, nounnon·re·spon·si·bly, adverbpre·re·spon·si·ble, adjectivequa·si-re·spon·si·ble, adjectivequa·si-re·spon·si·bly, adverbsu·per·re·spon·si·ble, adjectivesu·per·re·spon·si·ble·ness, nounsu·per·re·spon·si·bly, adverbun·re·spon·si·ble, adjectiveun·re·spon·si·ble·ness, nounun·re·spon·si·bly, adverb

Words nearby responsible

responser, response time, response variable, responsibilities, responsibility, responsible, responsion, responsive, responsiveness, responsor, responsory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use responsible in a sentence

Authorities should carry out a thorough investigation to find those responsible and give justice to Jeanine.
Tijuana authorities criticized over handling of transgender woman’s murder|Michael K. Lavers|September 17, 2020|Washington Blade
This means that for this particular account, we used to not know which search queries were responsible for about 20% of costs.
How much does Google’s new search term filtering affect ad spend transparency? Here’s how to find out|Frederick Vallaeys|September 16, 2020|Search Engine Land
It is responsible for the deaths of over 905,000 people around the world, and more than 190,000 people in the United States alone.
Why Coming Up With Effective Interventions To Address COVID-19 Is So Hard|Neil Lewis Jr. (nlewisjr@cornell.edu)|September 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The team is responsible for cranking out hundreds of millions of devices from Asia and shipping them across the world.
Apple’s leadership evolves ahead of a post-Tim Cook era|radmarya|September 12, 2020|Fortune

If the question is which individual country is responsible for the most emissions, it’s the US, at almost double its nearest competitor, China.
What’s causing climate change, in 10 charts|David Roberts|September 11, 2020|Vox
“Mona Iraqi is responsible for 25 families losing their lives,” he said, speaking figuratively.
Sisi Is Persecuting, Prosecuting, and Publicly Shaming Egypt’s Gays|Bel Trew|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If Uber did actually mislead its customers, it should certainly be held responsible.
Why Do ‘Progressives’ Want to Ban Uber and AirBnB?|Adam Thierer, Christopher Koopman|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nor am I particularly responsible with my personal finances.
Can Self-Help Books Really Make a New You?|Lizzie Crocker|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Guaraldi music is certainly at least 50 percent responsible for A Charlie Brown Christmas becoming as iconic as it has.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Students deemed “responsible” for alleged sexual assaults on college campuses can face little or no consequence for their acts.
Jameis Winston Cleared of Rape Like Every Other College Sports Star|Robert Silverman|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if God made man, then God is responsible for all man's acts and thoughts, and therefore man cannot sin against God.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Then came the strange note this morning, which I believe you, Miss Joyce, are responsible for!
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
He came later, and Harry, the black-haired boy, was mainly responsible for his coming.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
This contrast implies a great wrong somewhere, and for which somebody must be responsible.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
Its resolution will be put into practice with all fidelity by the executive power in its character of responsible government.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for responsible

responsible

/ (rɪˈspɒnsəbəl) /

adjective

(postpositive usually foll by for) having control or authority (over)

(postpositive foll by to) being accountable for one's actions and decisions (to)to be responsible to one's commanding officer

(of a position, duty, etc) involving decision and accountability

(often foll by for) being the agent or cause (of some action)to be responsible for a mistake

able to take rational decisions without supervision; accountable for one's own actionsa responsible adult

able to meet financial obligations; of sound credit

Derived forms of responsible

responsibleness, nounresponsibly, adverb

Word Origin for responsible

C16: from Latin rēsponsus, from rēspondēre to respond

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

responsible

OTHER WORDS FOR responsible

Origin of responsible

OTHER WORDS FROM responsible

Words nearby responsible

Words related to responsible

How to use responsible in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for responsible

Derived forms of responsible

Word Origin for responsible