responsible definition | Dictionary.com

re⋅spon⋅si⋅ble

[ri-spon-suh-buh

–adjective

1.	answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often fol. 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 fol. 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; < L respōns(us) (see response ) + -ible

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

re·spon·si·ble (rĭ-spŏn'sə-bəl) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Liable to be required to give account, as of one's actions or of the discharge of a duty or trust.
Involving personal accountability or ability to act without guidance or superior authority: a responsible position within the firm.
Being a source or cause.
Able to make moral or rational decisions on one's own and therefore answerable for one's behavior.
Able to be trusted or depended upon; reliable.
Based on or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking: responsible journalism.
Having the means to pay debts or fulfill obligations.
Required to render account; answerable: The cabinet is responsible to the parliament.

[Obsolete French, corresponding to, from Latin respōnsus, past participle of respondēre, to respond; see respond.]
re·spon'si·ble·ness n., re·spon'si·bly adv.

Synonyms: These adjectives share the meaning obliged to answer, as for one's actions, to an authority that may impose a penalty for failure. Responsible often implies the satisfactory performance of duties or the trustworthy care for or disposition of possessions: "I am responsible for the ship's safety" (Robert Louis Stevenson).
Answerable suggests a moral or legal responsibility subject to review by a higher authority: The court held the parents answerable for their minor child's acts of vandalism.
Liable may refer to a legal obligation, as to pay damages or to perform jury duty: Wage earners are liable to income tax.
Accountable especially emphasizes giving an account of one's discharge of a responsibility: "The liberal philosophy holds that enduring governments must be accountable to someone beside themselves" (Walter Lippmann).
Amenable implies being subject to the control of an authority and therefore the absence of complete autonomy: "There is no constitutional tribunal to which [the king] is amenable" (Alexander Hamilton). See Also Synonyms at reliable.

Usage Note: Some critics have maintained that responsible should not be used to describe things, since only persons can be held accountable. The application to things is justifiable, however, when responsible is used to mean "being the source or cause of." In an earlier survey, a majority of the Usage Panel accepted the sentence Faulty construction was responsible for the crash.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
responsible

1599, "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. Responsibility is from 1787.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

responsible
adjective
1.	worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable; "a responsible adult"; "responsible journalism"; "a responsible position"; "the captain is responsible for the ship's safety"; "the cabinet is responsible to the parliament" [ant: irresponsible]
2.	being the agent or cause; "determined who was the responsible party"; "termites were responsible for the damage"
3.	having an acceptable credit rating; "a responsible borrower" [syn: creditworthy]

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: re·spon·si·ble
Function: adjective
1 a : liable to be called on to answer b : liable to be called to account as the primary cause, motive, or agent c : liable to legal review or in case of fault to penalties
2 : characterized by trustworthiness, integrity, and requisite abilities and resources responsible bidder>
3 : able to choose for oneself between right and wrong
4 : marked by or involving accountability responsible office> —re·spon·si·bil·i·ty noun —re·spon·si·ble·ness noun —re·spon·si·bly adverb

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Responsible

Re*spon"si*ble\ (r?*sp?n"s?*b'l), a. [Cf. F. responsable. See Respond.]

1. Liable to respond; likely to be called upon to answer; accountable; answerable; amenable; as, a guardian is responsible to the court for his conduct in the office.

2. Able to respond or answer for one's conduct and obligations; trustworthy, financially or otherwise; as, to have a responsible man for surety.

3. Involving responsibility; involving a degree of accountability on the part of the person concerned; as, a responsible office.

Syn: Accountable; answerable; amenable. -- Re*spon"si*ble*ness, n. -- Re*spon"si*bly, adv.

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