responsibility
Americannoun
plural
responsibilities-
the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management.
- Synonyms:
- accountability, answerability
-
an instance of being responsible.
The responsibility for this mess is yours!
-
a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible.
the responsibilities of authority.
-
a person or thing for which one is responsible.
A child is a responsibility to their parents.
-
reliability or dependability, especially in meeting debts or payments.
idioms
noun
-
the state or position of being responsible
-
a person or thing for which one is responsible
-
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
Etymology
Origin of responsibility
First recorded in 1780–90; respons(ible) + -ibility
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.
One of the biggest issues the case has raised is the topic of personal versus collective responsibility.
From BBC
Abel wrote that “responsibility ultimately rests with me as CEO.”
From Barron's
"However, a responsibility has been placed on my shoulders and I will use all my capabilities and all my faith in the almighty in order to be able to bear this heavy responsibility."
From BBC
"It establishes responsibility, human control, and risk management as the governing themes of AI regulation," the firm said.
From Barron's
“The concept of dividing the responsibilities of the house and family makes sense, but knowing what’s happening is important,” he says.
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.
