response

noun

re·​sponse ri-ˈspän(t)s How to pronounce response (audio)
1
: an act of responding
2
: something constituting a reply or a reaction: such as
a
: a verse, phrase, or word sung or said by the people or choir after or in reply to the officiant in a liturgical service
b
: the activity or inhibition of previous activity of an organism or any of its parts resulting from stimulation
c
: the output of a transducer or detecting device resulting from a given input
Choose the Right Synonym for response

answer, response, reply, rejoinder, retort mean something spoken, written, or done in return.

answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need.

had answers to all their questions

response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus.

a response to the call for recruits

reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised.

a point-by-point reply to the accusation

rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection.

a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument

retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack.

she made a cutting retort to her critics

Examples of response in a Sentence

He got a response to his letter. I am writing in response to your letter of July 17. When I told him my plan, I wasn't expecting such an enthusiastic response. Her response to their decision was to threaten to quit her job. When you knocked on the door, was there any response?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025 Two days later, FCC Chair Brendan Carr, on a conservative podcast, threatened to pull ABC affiliate broadcast licenses in response. David Goldman, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025 The challenge today is that chatbots, which tend to work as billions of neurons connected together in dense layers, start firing en masse when the LLM is working on a response. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2025 Fox News Digital reached out to GSF for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for response

Word History

Etymology

Middle English & Latin; Middle English respounce, from Anglo-French respuns, respounce, from Latin responsum reply, from neuter of responsus, past participle of respondēre

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of response was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Response.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/response. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

response

noun
re·​sponse ri-ˈspän(t)s How to pronounce response (audio)
1
: an act or instance of replying : answer
2
: words said or sung by the people or choir in a religious service
3
: a reaction of a living thing to a stimulus

Medical Definition

response

noun
re·​sponse ri-ˈspän(t)s How to pronounce response (audio)
: the activity or inhibition of previous activity of an organism or any of its parts resulting from stimulation
a conditioned response

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