First Known Use: 1771
Dictionary
responsibility
noun re·spon·si·bil·i·ty \ri-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē\
: the state of being the person who caused something to happen
: a duty or task that you are required or expected to do
: something that you should do because it is morally right, legally required, etc.
plural re·spon·si·bil·i·ties
Full Definition of RESPONSIBILITY
1
: the quality or state of being responsible: as a : moral, legal, or mental accountability b : reliability, trustworthiness
2
: something for which one is responsible : burden <has neglected his responsibilities>
See responsibility defined for English-language learners
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Examples of RESPONSIBILITY
- … Landau's piece, examining the fan's, and the journalist's responsibility to rock stars … —Lawrence Dietz, Los Angeles Times Book Review, 23 May 1971
- A great soprano has a responsibility to her public … —Robert Evett, Atlantic, September 1970
- The responsibility for engineering the line of cars which in 1908 evolved the immortal Model T … —John Kenneth Galbraith, New York Times Book Review, 28 Feb. 1954
- Anthony Burton had once said that this was your responsibility toward society. —John P. Marquand, Atlantic, Nov. 1947
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Origin of RESPONSIBILITY
(see responsible)
Related to RESPONSIBILITY
- Antonyms
- dodginess [chiefly British], unreliability
Rhymes with RESPONSIBILITY
acceptability, accessibility, accountability, adaptability, adjustability, advisability, affordability, agreeability, attainability, availability, believability, compatibility, deniability, dependability, desirability, electability, eligibility, excitability, expendability, illegibility, immutability, implausibility, impossibility, improbability, incapability, infallibility, inflexibility, invisibility, manageability, marketability, measurability, navigability, permissibility, practicability, predictability, profitability, public utility, reliability, respectability, reusability, separability, strict liability, survivability, susceptibility, sustainability, upward mobility, variability, vulnerability
RESPONSIBILITY Defined for Kids
responsibility
noun re·spon·si·bil·i·ty \ri-ˌspän-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē\
plural re·spon·si·bil·i·ties
Definition of RESPONSIBILITY for Kids
1
: the quality or state of being in charge of someone or something
2
: the quality of being dependable <Show responsibility by always doing your homework.>
3
: something or someone for which someone has charge <The children are my responsibility.>
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