Meaning & use
irresponsibility
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Meaning
noununcountabledisapproving
Behavior in which a person fails to take care or accept the consequences of their actions.
Grammar: Uncountable: an act of irresponsibility, not an irresponsibility.
Patterns
- the irresponsibility of someone
- irresponsibility in something
The report criticized the irresponsibility of the bank's managers.
Leaving a toddler alone was pure irresponsibility.
Teachers were shocked by the students' irresponsibility with school property.
Common combinations
- sheer irresponsibility
- Driving without a seatbelt is sheer irresponsibility.
- financial irresponsibility
- Financial irresponsibility drove the firm to bankruptcy.
- accuse of irresponsibility
- They accused him of irresponsibility.
- a charge of irresponsibility
- A charge of irresponsibility hurt her career.
- youthful irresponsibility
- He left his youthful irresponsibility behind.
Synonyms and how they differ
- recklessness
- Recklessness suggests dangerous risk-taking, while irresponsibility is about failing to take duties seriously.
- carelessness
- Carelessness is milder and may be accidental, while irresponsibility implies a lack of duty.
- negligence
- Negligence is more formal and often legal.
- immaturity
- Immaturity points to age or character, not to failed duties.
Opposites
Word family
- responsibility noun
- a duty or being in charge
- responsible adjective
- in charge or reliable
- irresponsible adjective
- not taking proper care
- irresponsibly adverb
- in a careless way
Commonly confused: irresponsibility or unresponsibility?
irresponsibility vs unresponsibility
This is not a standard word; use irresponsibility.
Practice
Spending the team's money on holidays was an act of ___.
Choose one answer.
Misusing money shows a lack of care, so irresponsibility fits. Responsibility and reliability mean the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “irresponsibility”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.