responsibility
Other forms: responsibilities
A responsibility is something you're required to do as an upstanding member of a community. If you're in a band, it's your responsibility to learn the songs and show up to practice on time.
Responsibility comes from the Latin responsus, which means “to respond.” There are actually a few different definitions of the noun. It can be another word for trustworthiness, as in, "He demonstrated his responsibility by showing up to practice on time." And it can be used to describe the social force that motivates us to take on individual responsibilities, as in, "A sense of responsibility drove him to memorize all of the songs."
Definitions of responsibility
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the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force“every right implies a responsibility”
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synonyms:
duty, obligation
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types:
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job
the responsibility to do something
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guardianship, keeping, safekeeping
the responsibility of a guardian or keeper
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moral obligation
an obligation arising out of considerations of right and wrong
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noblesse oblige
the obligation of those of high rank to be honorable and generous (often used ironically)
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burden of proof
the duty of proving a disputed charge
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civic duty, civic responsibility
the responsibilities of a citizen
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filial duty
duty of a child to its parents
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imperative
some duty that is essential and urgent
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incumbency
a duty that is incumbent upon you
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legal duty
acts which the law requires be done or forborne
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line of duty
all that is normally required in some area of responsibility
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white man's burden
the supposed responsibility of the white race to provide care for their non-white subjects
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prerequisite, requirement
something that is required in advance
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demand, requirement
required activity
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custody, hands
(with `in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
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jury duty
the civic duty to serve on a jury
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fiduciary duty
the legal duty of a fiduciary to act in the best interests of the beneficiary
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obedience, respect
behavior intended to please your parents
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precondition
a condition that is a prerequisite
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academic requirement
a requirement for admission to or completion of an academic program
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essential condition, sine qua non
a prerequisite
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type of:
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social control
control exerted (actively or passively) by group action
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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”
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synonyms:
responsibleness
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Antonyms:
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irresponsibility, irresponsibleness
a form of untrustworthiness; the trait of lacking a sense of responsibility and not feeling accountable for your actions
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types:
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fault
responsibility for a bad situation or event
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accountability, answerability, answerableness
responsibility to someone or for some activity
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dependability, dependableness, reliability, reliableness
the quality of being dependable or reliable
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solidity, solidness
the quality of being solid and reliable financially or factually or morally
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infallibility
the quality of never making an error
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duplicability, reproducibility
the quality of being reproducible
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type of:
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trustiness, trustworthiness
the trait of deserving trust and confidence
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irresponsibility, irresponsibleness
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the proper sphere or extent of your activities
Pronunciation
US
/rɪspɑnsəˈbɪləɾi/
UK
/rəspɒnsəˈbɪlɪti/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘responsibility'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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