re·spon·si·ble

[ri-spon-suh-buhl]
adjective
1.
answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often followed by to or for ): He is responsible to the president for his decisions.
2.
involving accountability or responsibility: a responsible position.
3.
chargeable with being the author, cause, or occasion of something (usually followed by for ): Termites were responsible for the damage.
4.
having a capacity for moral decisions and therefore accountable; capable of rational thought or action: The defendant is not responsible for his actions.
5.
able to discharge obligations or pay debts.
6.
reliable or dependable, as in meeting debts, conducting business dealings, etc.
7.
(of a government, member of a government, government agency, or the like) answerable to or serving at the discretion of an elected legislature or the electorate.

Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin respōns(us) (see response) + -ible

re·spon·si·ble·ness, noun
re·spon·si·bly, adverb
in·ter·re·spon·si·ble, adjective
non·re·spon·si·ble, adjective
non·re·spon·si·ble·ness, noun
non·re·spon·si·b·ly, adverb
pre·re·spon·si·ble, adjective
qua·si-re·spon·si·ble, adjective
qua·si-re·spon·si·b·ly, adverb
su·per·re·spon·si·ble, adjective
su·per·re·spon·si·ble·ness, noun
su·per·re·spon·si·b·ly, adverb
un·re·spon·si·ble, adjective
un·re·spon·si·ble·ness, noun
un·re·spon·si·b·ly, adverb


1. liable. 4. competent. 5. solvent. 6. honest, capable, reliable, trustworthy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To responsible
00:10
Responsible is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Collins
World English Dictionary
responsible (rɪˈspɒnsəbəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj (usually foll by for) (foll by to)
1.  having control or authority (over)
2.  being accountable for one's actions and decisions (to): to be responsible to one's commanding officer
3.  (of a position, duty, etc) involving decision and accountability
4.  (often foll by for) being the agent or cause (of some action): to be responsible for a mistake
5.  able to take rational decisions without supervision; accountable for one's own actions: a responsible adult
6.  able to meet financial obligations; of sound credit
 
[C16: from Latin rēsponsus, from rēspondēre to respond]
 
re'sponsibleness
 
n
 
re'sponsibly
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

responsible
1590s, "answerable (to another, for something)," from Fr. responsible, from L. responsus, pp. of respondere "to respond" (see respond). Meaning "morally accountable for one's actions" is attested from 1836. Retains the sense of "obligation" in the Latin root word.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The evidence that humans were in some way responsible for these deaths remains
  strong.
Now research shows that a subtle consequence of aging may be responsible for
  the insomnia: the eye's lenses turn yellow.
It's unlikely that these two mutations were specifically responsible for the
  unusual nature of the medieval plague pandemic.
These tunnels presumably are responsible for the improved optical properties.
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