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responsibly

[ri-spon-suh-buhl]

Origin

adjective

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.

involving accountability or responsibility: a responsible position.

chargeable with being the author, cause, or occasion of something (usually followed by for): Termites were responsible for the damage.

having a capacity for moral decisions and therefore accountable; capable of rational thought or action: The defendant is not responsible for his actions.

able to discharge obligations or pay debts.

EXPAND

reliable or dependable, as in meeting debts, conducting business dealings, etc.

(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.

COLLAPSE

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

Related forms

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

EXPAND

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

COLLAPSE

Synonyms
1. liable. 4. competent. 5. solvent. 6. honest, capable, reliable, trustworthy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To responsibly

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Responsibly is always a great word to know.

So is quincunx. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

responsible (rɪˈspɒnsəb^əl)

—*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
Cite This Source

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.

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"During the fifties, for example, the American character appeared with some consistency that became a model of manhood adopted by many men: the Fifties male. He got to work early, labored responsibly, supported his wife and children and admired discipline. Reagan is a sort of mummified version of this dogged type. This sort of man didn't see women's souls well, but he appreciated their bodies; and his view of culture and America's part in it was boyish and optimistic. Many of his qualities were strong and positive, but underneath the charm and bluff there was, and there remains, much isolation, deprivation, and passivity. Unless he has an enemy, he isn't sure that he is alive. The Fifties man was supposed to like football, be aggressive, stick up for the United States, never cry, and always provide.... During the sixties, another sort of man appeared. The waste and violence of the Vietnam war made men question whether they knew what an adult male really was. If manhood meant Vietnam, did they want any part of it? Meanwhile, the feminist movement encouraged men to actually look at women, forcing them to become conscious of concerns and sufferings that the Fifties male labored to avoid."

-Robert Bly

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