re·spon·dent
ri-ˈspän-dənt 
1
: one who responds: such as
a
: one who maintains a thesis in reply
b(1)
: one who answers in various legal proceedings (as in equity cases)
(2)
: the prevailing party in the lower court
c
: a person who responds to a poll
1
: making response : responsive
especially
: being a respondent at law
2
: relating to or being behavior or responses to a stimulus that are followed by a reward
respondent conditioning
compare operant sense 3
Examples of respondent in a Sentence
Noun
A majority of respondents said they disagreed with the mayor's plan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Gabrielle Lamarr Lemee, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
In both Michigan and Pennsylvania — states crucial to the outcome of this year’s presidential election — more than 60% of respondents rated the economy as not so good or bad; a similar percentage said that their own situation is excellent or good.
—Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Pluralities of respondents, including nearly half of urban educators, said their schools had done a poor or fair job of preparing them for such a scenario.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Texas receiver Xavier Worthy Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator keeps track of reader selections, and an overwhelming 31% of respondents have Worthy landing with the Chiefs.
—Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Or what about forty-seven per cent of respondents to the poll who said their investments or retirement savings had gone in the wrong direction during the past year?
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024
Fifty-five percent of respondents in a Feb. 8-11 YouGov poll said that student loan debt was somewhat or very important to them, but a plurality, 44 percent, thought borrowers should have to repay them while only 40 percent said the government should forgive them.
—Monica Potts, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
About 80% of respondents cited concerns about a lack of charging stations as a reason not to buy an electric vehicle, according to a 2023 survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
—Alexa St. John, Matthew Daly and Joshua A. Bickel, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
Big deal Deloitte’s 2024 Global Corporate Divestiture Survey finds that 78% of respondents anticipate their companies will consider at least three divestitures in the next 12 to 18 months.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Hannah Drown, cleveland, 10 Oct. 2022
The legal doctrine of respondent superior states that an employer can be vicariously liable for the improper actions of its employee or agent.
—Tom Spiggle, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022
The salient findings of the report include, among others, the response of respondent family offices to the rising global inflation, high levels of cash holdings, and the much healthier performance of general portfolios as compared to past years.
—Francois Botha, Forbes, 2 May 2022
That percentage is roughly 15 percent higher than within the entire respondent pool.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2022
Key respondent groups identified as Black – African (18%), Black – Caribbean (12%), Any Other Ethnicity (11%), Black Caribbean and White (10%), Indian (10%) and Asian and White (8%), among others.
—Manori Ravindran, Variety, 23 Aug. 2021
When a household agrees to participate, Nielsen has field representatives to contact would-be respondent homes.
—Brad Adgate, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2021
Absent a robust and respondent welfare state, protests have become a routine — and occasionally effective — means of social negotiation between citizens, workers and public officials.
—Chantal Berman, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2018
Noun
In the Antelope Valley, 24% of respondents reported owning a gun.
—Gabrielle Lamarr Lemee, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
In both Michigan and Pennsylvania — states crucial to the outcome of this year’s presidential election — more than 60% of respondents rated the economy as not so good or bad; a similar percentage said that their own situation is excellent or good.
—Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Pluralities of respondents, including nearly half of urban educators, said their schools had done a poor or fair job of preparing them for such a scenario.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Texas receiver Xavier Worthy Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator keeps track of reader selections, and an overwhelming 31% of respondents have Worthy landing with the Chiefs.
—Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Or what about forty-seven per cent of respondents to the poll who said their investments or retirement savings had gone in the wrong direction during the past year?
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024
Fifty-five percent of respondents in a Feb. 8-11 YouGov poll said that student loan debt was somewhat or very important to them, but a plurality, 44 percent, thought borrowers should have to repay them while only 40 percent said the government should forgive them.
—Monica Potts, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
About 80% of respondents cited concerns about a lack of charging stations as a reason not to buy an electric vehicle, according to a 2023 survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
—Alexa St. John, Matthew Daly and Joshua A. Bickel, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
Big deal Deloitte’s 2024 Global Corporate Divestiture Survey finds that 78% of respondents anticipate their companies will consider at least three divestitures in the next 12 to 18 months.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The respondent pool was reviewed to ensure U.S. Census targets for gender, age, race, education and home ownership were met.
—Hannah Drown, cleveland, 10 Oct. 2022
The legal doctrine of respondent superior states that an employer can be vicariously liable for the improper actions of its employee or agent.
—Tom Spiggle, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022
The salient findings of the report include, among others, the response of respondent family offices to the rising global inflation, high levels of cash holdings, and the much healthier performance of general portfolios as compared to past years.
—Francois Botha, Forbes, 2 May 2022
That percentage is roughly 15 percent higher than within the entire respondent pool.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2022
Key respondent groups identified as Black – African (18%), Black – Caribbean (12%), Any Other Ethnicity (11%), Black Caribbean and White (10%), Indian (10%) and Asian and White (8%), among others.
—Manori Ravindran, Variety, 23 Aug. 2021
When a household agrees to participate, Nielsen has field representatives to contact would-be respondent homes.
—Brad Adgate, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2021
Absent a robust and respondent welfare state, protests have become a routine — and occasionally effective — means of social negotiation between citizens, workers and public officials.
—Chantal Berman, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'respondent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near respondent
Cite this Entry
“Respondent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respondent. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
respondent
1 of 2 noun
re·spon·dent
ri-ˈspän-dənt
: a reflex that occurs in response to a specific external stimulus
the knee jerk is a typical respondent
Legal Definition
respondent
noun
re·spon·dent
ri-ˈspän-dənt
: one who answers or defends in various proceedings: as
a
: an answering party in an equitable proceeding
b
: a party against whom a petition (as for a writ of habeas corpus) seeking relief is brought
c
: an answering party in a proceeding in juvenile court or family court
specifically
: a party against whom a divorce proceeding is brought
d
: a party prevailing at trial who defends the outcome on appeal : appellee
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