responsible

Meanings

1. 1adjectiveafter a verb

   Having a duty to deal with something, control it, or accept blame for it.

   Grammar: Usually predicative; the key pattern is responsible for, or responsible to for reporting.

   Patterns

   • responsible for something
   • responsible to someone
   • hold someone responsible

   The manager is responsible for staff training.

   Each driver is responsible for their own safety.

   She is responsible to the board for monthly results.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Reliable and trustworthy enough to handle duties or make sensible decisions.

   Grammar: Can be predicative or before a noun; gradable with more or most.

   Patterns

   • a responsible adult
   • responsible behavior
   • act responsibly

   A responsible adult should check the medicine cabinet.

   He gave a responsible answer instead of guessing.

   Pet ownership requires responsible choices.

3. 3adjectivebefore a noun

   Involving important duties or decisions that affect other people.

   Grammar: Mostly attributive before nouns such as job, role, or position.

   Patterns

   • a responsible position
   • a responsible role
   • responsible decision-making

   She accepted a responsible role in the hospital.

   The internship includes responsible decision-making under supervision.

   He was promoted to a responsible position in logistics.

Word forms

Common combinations

responsible for

The engineer is responsible for bridge inspections.

socially responsible

The company tries to be socially responsible in its sourcing.

responsible adult

A responsible adult must sign the permission form.

hold someone responsible

The court held the landlord responsible for the repairs.

responsible decision-making

Good mentors model responsible decision-making.

Synonyms and how they differ

accountable

Accountable emphasizes having to explain or accept consequences, often officially.

liable

Liable is legal or financial and means legally answerable; responsible is broader.

dependable

Dependable stresses reliability over time, not necessarily legal duty or blame.

trustworthy

Trustworthy describes character; responsible can describe a duty as well as a person.

Opposites

Word family

responsibility noun

A duty, or the state of being answerable for something.

responsibly adverb

In a reliable and answerable way.

irresponsible adjective

Failing to act with proper care or duty.

response noun

An answer or reaction, from the same root but with a different use.

Commonly confused: responsible or responsive? responsible or responsive?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “responsible”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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