irresponsible

1 of 2

adjective

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

: 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

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

irresponsible

2 of 2

noun

: a person who is irresponsible

Synonyms of irresponsible

Adjective

• reckless

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

Use credit, but be smart about it When finances are tight, pulling out a credit card may seem irresponsible. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026

And yet suddenly Liam the layabout, Liam the bozo, Liam the irresponsible clown is in his element. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Milei has offered little sympathy for struggling Argentines, blaming the surge in delinquencies on irresponsible spending. — Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Ryan Tarosas, owner of Fox 14 Marina on the river in Algonquin, said no law is going to stop the few irresponsible drivers. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irresponsible

• responsible
• sponsible

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 

: not responsible : mentally inadequate to bear responsibility

irresponsibility

-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural irresponsibilities