What does respondent mean?
A respondent is someone who answers or replies, especially to questions in a survey, interview, questionnaire, or research study. The word is also used in legal language for a party who responds to a claim or legal proceeding. In everyday use, a respondent may simply be a person who participates in a request for information or feedback, but the term is most familiar in formal research and legal settings. Its associations with research and data collection are strong: a survey’s conclusions depend on the answers supplied by its respondents, while researchers often analyze responses by respondent type or demographic group. Although respondent is related in meaning to answerer and participant, it commonly carries a more formal and less personal tone. The word is also easy to distinguish from correspondent, which usually describes someone who exchanges letters or communications regularly.
nounA person who responds or replies, especially someone who answers questions in a survey or interview. In legal contexts, a respondent is a party who answers a claim or legal proceeding brought against them.
- A person who answers questions, especially in a survey, questionnaire, interview, or research study.
- A person or party who responds to an allegation, claim, petition, or other legal process.
- A person who replies to a request, communication, or opportunity to participate.
"The survey revealed that many respondents preferred remote work."
"Several respondents left the final question blank."
"The respondent denied the allegations and requested a hearing."
The usual plural form for people who respond, especially survey participants or parties in legal proceedings.
"Most respondents preferred to receive the results by email."
In a survey, the respondent is the voice of the data: every statistic begins with someone’s answer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does respondent come from?
The word respondent entered English in the late 16th century, formed from the Latin respondentem, a participial form of respondere, meaning “to answer or reply.” Its cognates include respond, response, correspond, and correspondence, all of which involve responding, answering, or being matched. The legal sense developed alongside the word’s general meaning of one who replies or answers.
How respondent is actually used
The term is formal and particularly common in research and legal contexts. In ordinary conversation, respondent can sound impersonal, so a more specific noun such as participant, interviewee, or person may be preferable depending on the context.
Easily confused with respondent
A respondent answers questions or takes part in a reply, whereas a correspondent communicates regularly with another person or organization.
A respondent is the general term for a person who replies or answers, while a defendant is specifically a party defending legal allegations or charges.