responsibility

noun

re·​spon·​si·​bil·​i·​ty ri-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce responsibility (audio)
plural responsibilities
Synonyms of responsibilitynext
1
: the quality or state of being responsible: such as
a
: moral, legal, or mental accountability
b
: reliability, trustworthiness
2
: something for which one is responsible : burden
has neglected his responsibilities

Synonyms

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Examples of responsibility in a Sentence

… 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Policymakers cannot kick the can of responsibility for grid upgrades down the road or hope for a savior from the private sector. — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 Love could intertwine with domestic responsibilities. — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025 Hundreds of law enforcement officials have signed up to perform some of the duties of federal immigration agents as part of their regular responsibilities in a program known as 287(g). — Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2025 The president has responded to the reports of Bondi's actions by deflecting responsibility while praising her performance, NPR's Domenico Montanaro says. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for responsibility

Word History

Etymology

see responsible

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of responsibility was in 1642

Phrases Containing responsibility

Rhymes for responsibility

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Browse Nearby Words

responser
responsibility
responsible
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Cite this Entry

“Responsibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/responsibility. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

responsibility

noun
re·​spon·​si·​bil·​i·​ty ri-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce responsibility (audio)
plural responsibilities
1
: the quality or state of being responsible
2
: the quality of being dependable
3
: something for which one is responsible
neglected his responsibilities

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Nglish: Translation of responsibility for Spanish Speakers

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