What does responsible mean?
Responsible primarily describes someone who has a duty to perform, answer for an action, or ensure that an outcome is handled properly: a parent is responsible for a child, and a manager may be responsible for a team's performance. It can also mean that a person is trustworthy, thoughtful, and capable of making sound decisions. In phrases such as "hold someone responsible" and "responsible for the accident," the word carries implications of accountability and potential blame, although responsibility itself need not imply wrongdoing. A "responsible position" is a formal or senior role involving serious duties. The adjective is common in both British and American English and is usually followed by "for" when identifying a duty. As a noun, "the responsible" means the person or organization accountable for something, but this use is less frequent than the adjective.
Having the duty or obligation to do something; being accountable for an action, outcome, or area of concern. It can also mean trustworthy and conscientious.
"Each employee is responsible for checking the figures before they are submitted."
The standard construction is "responsible for."
A person or organization that has been made accountable for an action or outcome.
"The investigators identified the responsible parties and recommended corrective measures."
This is a formal and comparatively uncommon noun use; it is often expressed as "the person or parties responsible."
The plural is grammatical but uncommon in modern usage; "the responsible parties" is usually clearer and more natural.
"The authorities contacted the responsibles for each of the affected sites."
The word responsible began with the idea of giving an answer: a responsible person is someone who can be called to account.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does responsible come from?
Responsible comes through French from Latin responsabilis, a form derived from respondere, meaning "to answer" or "to respond." The idea was therefore that a responsible person or authority could give an answer for actions or obligations. Its relatives include response, respondent, responsive, and responsibility, all of which preserve the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How responsible is actually used
In its most common sense, responsible usually appears in the construction "responsible for," meaning accountable for a duty, action, or result. "Hold someone responsible" means to assign accountability or blame. As a noun, "the responsible" is formal and less common, usually meaning the person or organization held accountable. The plural "responsibles" is possible but uncommon.