responsibility

noun re·spon·si·bil·i·ty \ ri-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē \

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

Examples: responsibility in a Sentence

Definition of responsibility

plural responsibilities

1 : the quality or state of being responsible: such as

a : moral, legal, or mental accountability

b : reliability, trustworthiness

2 : something for which one is responsible : burden

has neglected his responsibilities

See responsibility defined for English-language learners

See responsibility defined for kids

Examples of responsibility in a Sentence

… Landau's piece, examining the fan's, and the journalist's responsibility to rock stars … —Lawrence Dietz, Los Angeles Times Book Review, 23 May 1971
A great soprano has a responsibility to her public … —Robert Evett, Atlantic, September 1970
The responsibility for engineering the line of cars which in 1908 evolved the immortal Model T … —John Kenneth Galbraith, New York Times Book Review, 28 Feb. 1954
Anthony Burton had once said that this was your responsibility toward society. —John P. Marquand, Atlantic, Nov. 1947
The boys denied any responsibility for the damage to the fence.
A terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The janitor has many responsibilities.
Mowing the lawn is your responsibility.
She has to deal with a lot of family and work responsibilities.
It is your responsibility to give the company two weeks notice if you decide to leave.
In her new position, she will have much more responsibility.
We have a responsibility to protect the environment.
The government's responsibility is to serve the public.
The principal has responsibility for 450 students and a staff of 35.

Recent Examples of responsibility from the Web

According to the employee, its staff is overworked and a little stressed out by the 12-hour shifts and the considerable responsibilities.

— BostonGlobe.com, "A migrant child’s days in detention included cleaning toilets," 14 July 2018
Juggling many responsibilities is a skill that Wagoner developed while attending Maine South.

— myrna petlicki, chicagotribune.com, "Coming soon to a theater near you: Park Ridge native helps create trailers in Hollywood," 14 July 2018
And the regulars in a plaza take on responsibility.

— james barron, New York Times, "Lounge in Them. Dash Through Them. But Don’t Call Them Parks.," 13 July 2018
The four-star prospect was 3-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, while helping handle point guard responsibilities.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville pledge Josh Nickelberry recruiting teammates for Cards," 13 July 2018
The reminders about personal responsibility also come with a healthy dose of support.

— NBC News, "Be proactive and step out of your comfort zone:," 13 July 2018
The Nuggets can simply move forward—no harm, no foul—at the first sign of tension, shifting the full responsibility for this partnership’s success to Thomas.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "Grades: Isaiah Thomas Can Rejuvenate Career in Nuggets' Low-Risk Gamble," 13 July 2018
The Lehmans finally fall out, over the dispute between risk and responsibility.

— demetrios matheou, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Lehman Trilogy': Theater Review," 13 July 2018
Most self-driving vehicles rely on a suite of sophisticated sensors, mapping data, and deep learning capabilities to handle the driving responsibilities.

— andrew j. hawkins, The Verge, "This electric driverless logging truck can carry up to 16 tons of timber," 12 July 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of responsibility

see responsible

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1771

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

responsibility Synonyms

RESPONSIBILITY Defined for English Language Learners

responsibility

noun

Definition of responsibility for English Language Learners

: the state of being the person who caused something to happen
: a duty or task that you are required or expected to do
: something that you should do because it is morally right, legally required, etc.