Meaning & use
response
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Meanings
nouncountable
A spoken, written, or electronic answer to a question, message, or request.
Grammar: Countable; usually response to something. Unlike answer, it need not solve a problem.
Patterns
- response to a letter
- give/make a response
- in response to a question
We received a response to our complaint within a day.
Her response was short but polite.
In response to your email, the room is available Tuesday.
nouncountable or uncountable
A reaction shown by people, the body, or a system when something happens.
Grammar: Countable for one reaction; uncountable in phrases like public response. It can be physical, emotional, or practical.
Patterns
- response to a crisis
- positive/angry response
- immediate response
The emergency response was faster after the new sirens arrived.
There was a warm response to the neighbourhood cleanup.
His response to stress is to make lists.
nouncountablemedical
A specific bodily reaction, such as by the immune system, to a substance or infection.
Grammar: Countable; common in medical contexts as immune response. It is narrower than any reaction.
Patterns
- immune response
- allergic response
- response to treatment
Vaccines train the immune response to recognize the virus.
The patient had a strong allergic response to the dye.
Doctors measured the tumour’s response to treatment.
Word forms
| plural | responses |
|---|
Common combinations
- in response to
- The school changed the menu in response to parents’ concerns.
- quick/immediate response
- A quick response prevented the leak from spreading.
- positive response
- The plan got a positive response from residents.
- emergency response
- Emergency response teams reached the bridge at dawn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reply
- Usually words sent back; response can be a bodily or system reaction too.
- answer
- Best for solving a question or problem; response can be any reaction, even silence.
- reaction
- Broader and immediate; response can be considered and later.
- feedback
- Comments meant to improve something; response can simply acknowledge or react.
Word family
- respond verb
- To answer or react to something.
- responsive adjective
- Reacting quickly and helpfully.
- responsible adjective
- Having duty or control; related by form but different in use.
Commonly confused: response or responsibility? response or correspondence?
response vs responsibility
Responsibility is a duty; response is an answer or reaction.
response vs correspondence
Correspondence means letters exchanged; a response is one answer within it.
Practice
Choose the best preposition: The city opened shelters ___ the flood warning.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is in response to, meaning because of or as a reaction to. The other prepositions do not form this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “response”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.