Meaning & use
irresponsible behavior
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Meanings
phraseuncountable
actions that show a lack of care for the consequences or for other people's well-being.
Grammar: This is an uncountable noun phrase; it does not take 'a' or 'an' and has no plural form.
Patterns
- someone's irresponsible behavior
- accuse someone of irresponsible behavior
- irresponsible behavior toward someone
Leaving the children alone all night was irresponsible behavior.
The company was criticized for its irresponsible behavior toward the environment.
His irresponsible behavior at work led to his dismissal.
phraseuncountableformallegal
a pattern of acting without thinking about risks or duties, often used in legal or formal contexts.
Grammar: Used in formal or legal writing to describe a course of conduct, not a single act.
Patterns
- a pattern of irresponsible behavior
- engage in irresponsible behavior
The court considered the parent's irresponsible behavior when making its decision.
Irresponsible behavior by officials can damage public trust.
Common combinations
- grossly irresponsible behavior
- The report described the manager's grossly irresponsible behavior.
- financially irresponsible behavior
- His financially irresponsible behavior left the family in debt.
- socially irresponsible behavior
- Littering is socially irresponsible behavior.
- condone irresponsible behavior
- The school will not condone irresponsible behavior.
Synonyms and how they differ
- recklessness
- Recklessness emphasizes conscious disregard of danger; irresponsible behavior can also include simply forgetting duties.
- negligence
- Negligence is a legal term for failure to take proper care; irresponsible behavior is a broader, everyday phrase.
Opposites
Word family
- irresponsible adjective
- Not showing proper care or concern.
- irresponsibly adverb
- In a way that shows a lack of responsibility.
- responsibility noun
- The state of being accountable for something.
Commonly confused: irresponsible behavior or irresponsive?
irresponsible behavior vs irresponsive
Irresponsive means not reacting or responding, especially in medical contexts; it is not the opposite of responsible.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'irresponsible behavior' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Irresponsible behavior' is uncountable, so it does not take 'an' or a plural, and 'behaviorly' is not a word. Only sentence B uses the phrase correctly as an uncountable noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “irresponsible behavior”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.