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

"War is driving Sudan's needs; funding cuts are shrinking the response," said Muhammad Ibrahim, the head of charity in Sudan.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Canada’s new tariffs of between 15% and 50% are in response to 50% duties that the Trump administration imposed last month following the surprise collapse of trade talks between U.S. and Canadian officials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

For industry consultant Mark Acton, the infrastructure is increasingly essential, particularly in London, a city where proximity can provide the ultra-fast response times needed for financial trading.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

In people, the immune response following damage to the central nervous system can contribute to lasting injury rather than allowing damaged nerve tissue to regenerate.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

I looked hard at the three of them standing there waiting for my response.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

According to the OECD’s director for education and skills, students have become increasingly “hasty” in their engagement with texts, giving fast but often incorrect responses, a development he attributed to digitalization and screen use.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

“This five-year period, in my view, is a very critical period,” he said, adding that responses that take five or six years to get underway could come too late.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the attack was a "major escalation that demands resolute responses".

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

In August, the US Congressional Research Service said Russia's intelligence agencies had demonstrated "flexibility in conducting these attacks and adapting to European responses" including heightened intelligence scrutiny.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

“I’m so sorry about Biscuit,” I said softly, and not as one of those nice responses to make someone feel better.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• feedback
• reply
• return