intransitive verb1: to speak or write in reply 2 a: to be or make oneself responsible or accountable <answer for a debt>b: to make amends :atone<must answer for his crimes> 3: to be in conformity or correspondence <answered to the description> 4: to act in response to an action performed elsewhere or by another <the home team scored first but the visitors answered quickly> 5: to be adequate :serve<an old bucket answered for a sink>transitive verb1 a: to speak or write in reply to <answer a question><answer me>b: to say or write by way of reply <answer yes or no> 2: to reply to in rebuttal, justification, or explanation <answer an accusation> 3 a: to correspond to <answers the description>b: to be adequate or usable for :fulfill<answer a need> 4obsolete: to atone for 5: to act in response to <answered the call to arms> 6: to offer a solution for; especially:solve<answer a riddle>