responsible
Americanadjective
-
answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often followed by to orfor ).
He is responsible to the president for his decisions.
- Synonyms:
- liable
-
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 byfor ).
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.
- Synonyms:
- competent
-
able to discharge obligations or pay debts.
- Synonyms:
- solvent
-
reliable or dependable, as in meeting debts, conducting business dealings, etc.
- Synonyms:
- trustworthy, reliable, capable, honest
-
(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.
adjective
-
having control or authority (over)
-
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 actions
a responsible adult
-
able to meet financial obligations; of sound credit
Other Word Forms
- interresponsible adjective
- nonresponsible adjective
- nonresponsibleness noun
- nonresponsibly adverb
- preresponsible adjective
- quasi-responsible adjective
- quasi-responsibly adverb
- responsibleness noun
- responsibly adverb
- superresponsible adjective
- superresponsibleness noun
- superresponsibly adverb
- unresponsible adjective
- unresponsibleness noun
- unresponsibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of responsible
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin respōns(us) ( response ( def. ) ) + -ible ( def. )
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.
But hiring was concentrated in education and health services, a field responsible for a disproportionate share of recent U.S. job creation and which added 58,000 net jobs in March.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
The development officers will be responsible for raising awareness of childhood dementia, developing understanding among professionals, and ensuring a support network is in place for families affected by it.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
When the crewed Artemis II mission launches to the moon as soon as tomorrow, the abort system will, for the first time, be responsible for keeping astronauts alive.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
The waterway is responsible for carrying around a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas in peacetime.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
As a house servant, the teenage Betty Hemings would have been responsible for taking care of the infant girl.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
