Link Centre Dictionary

responsibility

res·pon·si·bility

UK/ɹɪˌspɒn.səˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ US/ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/ common

noun

1.

the social force that binds you to your obligations and the courses of action demanded by that force

  • “we must instill a sense of duty in our children”
  • “every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty” Jo
Synonyms
2.

the proper sphere or extent of your activities

  • “it was his province to take care of himself”
Synonyms
3.

a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one''s conduct

  • “he holds a position of great responsibility”
Synonyms
Antonyms

Origin

From responsible + -ity. Although the components are of French origin, the compound appears to have been formed in English. Later-attested French responsabilité is modeled on the English word, and Italian responsabilità is in turn modeled on the French.

Phrases

  • age of criminal responsibility
  • chain-of-responsibility pattern
  • command responsibility
  • corporate social responsibility
  • diminished responsibility
  • single responsibility principle
  • social responsibility
  • take responsibility

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.