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, 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

This is grossly irresponsible reporting that should be ignored. — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, "Democrats enjoy a huge party registration advantage in midterms.," 10 July 2018 Such talk in the present climate is wildly irresponsible. — The Economist, "Italy’s bond yields rise as it heads for another election," 29 May 2018 My take is that Kanye’s remarks were wholly irresponsible, lacked good judgment and came from an uneducated stance. — Monique Judge, The Root, "Kanye, Words Matter!," 2 May 2018 Now, that would be irresponsible to budget for that sort of thing. — Michael Klein, Philly.com, "How Weavers Way Co-op thrives in this Amazon age for grocery stores," 13 Feb. 2018 The president’s tweets are irresponsible, false and disrespectful to law enforcement. — Alex Pappas, Fox News, "Ex-Dem IT aide Imran Awan’s case hit with repeated delays, as feds probe new allegations," 4 May 2018 The marketing schemes and misinformation campaigns utilized by Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and Endo are irresponsible and downright dangerous. — Wayne Drash, CNN, "One state's novel idea to make Big Pharma pay for opioid epidemic," 30 Mar. 2018 This much is clear: Whether your privilege comes down to whiteness, wealth, influence, being able-bodied, or something else entirely, there are responsible and irresponsible ways to use it. — Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire, "Reminder: Kim Kardashian Sought Justice For One Person. Hundreds Of Thousands Are Still Stuck.," 7 June 2018 Allowing the leopard to approach the guest like that was incredibly irresponsible. — Richie Hertzberg, National Geographic, "Leopard's 'Playful' Bite Could Have Dangerous Consequences," 21 May 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.