irresponsible

1 of 2

adjective

ir·​re·​spon·​si·​ble ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce irresponsible (audio)
: not responsible: such as
a
: lacking a sense of responsibility
b
: said or done with no sense of responsibility
irresponsible accusations
c
: unable especially mentally or financially to bear responsibility
d
: not answerable to higher authority
an irresponsible dictatorship
irresponsibility noun
irresponsibleness noun
irresponsibly adverb

irresponsible

2 of 2

noun

: a person who is irresponsible

Examples of irresponsible in a Sentence

Adjective He's too irresponsible to keep a job for more than a week. She made irresponsible comments that helped cause the riot. It would be irresponsible to ignore the threats.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Left and right agree with Auerbach that Harris and Trump are irresponsible. John Tamny, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 To argue that Proposition 47 is at fault is irresponsible, misleading and smacks of fear-mongering. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024 Global Collaboration And Regulation Without unified standards, inconsistent regulations could lead to irresponsible AGI development. Nikhil Jathar, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 Law enforcement officials have pushed back, arguing that letting people drink well into the early morning is irresponsible. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for irresponsible 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irresponsible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irresponsible was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near irresponsible

Cite this Entry

“Irresponsible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irresponsible. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

irresponsible

adjective
ir·​re·​spon·​si·​ble
ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl
1
: not legally responsible
2
: having or showing no sense of responsibility
irresponsible behavior
3
: unable to bear responsibility
irresponsibility
-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē
noun
irresponsibly
-ˈspän(t)-sə-blē
adverb

Medical Definition

irresponsible

adjective
ir·​re·​spon·​si·​ble ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce irresponsible (audio)
: not responsible : mentally inadequate to bear responsibility
irresponsibility noun
plural irresponsibilities

More from Merriam-Webster on irresponsible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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