responsibility
This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 19:46. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Pronunciation
- IPA: UK /rɪˌspɒn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/, US /rɪˌspɑːn.səˈbɪl.ə.t̬i/[1]
Etymology
It is a derivation, from English responsible + -ity.[2][3]
Earliest recorded meaning
The state of being responsible, accountable or answerable: 1787 in Etymonline and the OED,[2][4] the mid-18th century in the Shorter Oxford.[3] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dates it 1771, and the Unabridged gives a much earlier date, 1642.[5][6]
Semantic evolution
A charge, trust or duty for which one is responsible is from 1796,[2][4] and a person for whom one is responsible from 1832.[4] In the 19th century it was often followed by of (1840), and in the 20th by for (1903).[2][4]
Timeline
- 1642 – Merriam-Webster's date.[6]
- 1787 – the state of being responsible.[2][4]
- 1796 – a duty or trust.[2][4]
- 1832 – a person in one's charge.[4]
- 1903 – responsibility for.[4]
Modern meaning
Noun
- The state of being responsible or accountable.
- Something for which one is responsible; a duty or obligation.
- Reliability; trustworthiness.
Word family
- nonresponsibility
Related words
- respond
- responsible
- response
- irresponsibility
References
- ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster