responsive

adjective

re·​spon·​sive ri-ˈspän(t)-siv 

1

: giving response : constituting a response : answering

a responsive glance

responsive aggression

2

: quick to respond or react appropriately or sympathetically : sensitive

3

: using responses

a responsive liturgy

responsively adverb

responsiveness noun

Did you know?

Responsive comes from the joining of Latin responsus with the suffix -ivus, which gave English -ive. That suffix changes verbs into adjectives, as in suggestive or corrosive. Responsus is a form of respondēre, which means "to answer" and is the source of English's respond. Responsive enters the language with the meaning "giving response" or "answering." Examples are "a responsive letter" or "a responsive glance." Nowadays, it variously describes people or things that immediately respond or react to something, such as "a responsive audience" or "a car with responsive steering."

Examples of responsive in a Sentence

The patient was not responsive to the treatment.

The store is very responsive to the needs of its customers.

Recent Examples on the Web

The quarterly rebalanced mixture of large-, mid-, and small-cap RV Portfolio stocks offered a responsive approach, allowing optimal capitalizing on thriving market conditions while minimizing losses during downturns, as elaborated in RV Portfolio performance metrics. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

Pigs are as intelligent and emotionally responsive as a dog—as a two-year-old child. —Will Potter july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025

The new concept would be more responsive as river flows become more variable. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 5 July 2025

This is the surprising recommendation of a new study by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, which found that text messages containing emojis are perceived as more emotionally responsive than those using words alone. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing responsive

• hyper-responsive

Rhymes for responsive

• nonresponsive
• unresponsive

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Kids Definition

responsive

adjective

re·​spon·​sive ri-ˈspän(t)-siv 

1

: giving response : being an answer

a responsive smile

2

: quick to respond or react sympathetically : sensitive

responsive to the needs of the poor

responsively adverb

responsiveness noun

Medical Definition

responsive

adjective

re·​spon·​sive ri-ˈspän(t)-siv 

: making a response

especially : responding to treatment

pain responsive to opioids