irresponsible

adjective

ir·re·spon·si·ble | \ ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl

Definition of irresponsible

(Entry 1 of 2)

: not responsible: such as

a : not answerable to higher authority an irresponsible dictatorship

b : said or done with no sense of responsibility irresponsible accusations

c : lacking a sense of responsibility

d : unable especially mentally or financially to bear responsibility

irresponsible

noun

Definition of irresponsible (Entry 2 of 2)

: a person who is irresponsible

Other Words from irresponsible Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about irresponsible

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Other Words from irresponsible

Adjective

irresponsibility \ ˌir-i-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

irresponsibleness \ ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl-nəs

\ noun

irresponsibly \ ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-blē

\ adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms for irresponsible

Synonyms: Adjective

daredevil, devil-may-care, foolhardy, harum-scarum, hell-for-leather, kamikaze, reckless

Antonyms: Adjective

responsible

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

Failing to take action would be irresponsible and uncaring. — Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, "Kafer: Some geese have got to go — culling is the logical and humane response," 4 July 2019 The White House is trying to goad us into a military conflict that is completely irresponsible. — Alana Abramson, Time, "Members of Congress Worry the White House Will Declare War on Iran Without Their Approval. Here's What They're Doing to Avoid That," 24 June 2019 These fathers are often viewed as irresponsible and uninvolved. — Jessica Troilo, The Conversation, "Divorced dads often dissed by schools," 14 June 2019 Samantha Hoffman, an analyst at the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, warns the German government would be irresponsible to ignore the BND’s advice. — Clifford Coonan, The Christian Science Monitor, "At stake in Huawei’s German bid, economic gain vs. national security," 6 June 2019 By all means, call out online distortions and lies, but deliberately exposing low-level political advocates to personal destruction is shabby and irresponsible, and more an act of political retaliation than journalism. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "The Daily Beast’s Shabby Scoop," 4 June 2019 The key here is as long as the medical staff informed Durant and the team of the risks, this decision was not irresponsible. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Three big questions the day after Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury," 11 June 2019 Purse Strings Online founder Patranzino says trying to keep up with others is unnecessary and fiscally irresponsible. — Carmen Wong Ulrich, Good Housekeeping, "Spend Less, Give More," 15 Nov. 2011 Your roommate’s poor judgment and irresponsible behavior may signal she’s struggling with an underlying issue. — Steven P. Dinkin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "A texting driver, a collision and a bad loan," 8 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'irresponsible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.