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

The coalition had "carried out a decisive and strong response," he added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

In response, Jefferson started a newspaper contest to elicit plans for what became the Capitol, designed by Dr. William Thornton, the amateur architect who won the contest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

In announcing the military expansion, the government said new army divisions would ensure better co-ordination, intelligence sharing and faster response times.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

That muted response is in keeping with the film’s blasé attitude toward our tech-heavy world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Aunt J says she’s going to a community meeting to discuss what their response should be if Faith & Honor does show up.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

The planning application has received hundreds of responses from Bromley residents; 390 people wrote in to support the project, while the proposal also garnered 406 objections.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The questionnaires asked participants how often they consumed a standard serving of each food or beverage, with responses ranging from "never or less than once per month" to "6 or more per day."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

At this stage, generating responses quickly might also matter as much as a super-advanced AI model in attracting and retaining users.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

And for what it’s worth, there are similarities in the initial responses to both films.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

We give them a questionnaire, like the Big Five Inventory, carefully designed to elicit telling responses.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• feedback
• reply
• return