Definition of responsibility
responsibilities
1 : the quality or state of being responsible: such asa : moral, legal, or mental accountabilityb : reliability, trustworthiness
2 : something for which one is responsible : burden has neglected his responsibilities
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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
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No group has claimed responsibility Saturday’s attack, although in her speech May suggested the suspects were Islamic extremists.
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No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which came in the first week of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
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In recent days, Mr. Trump withstood withering criticism from European counterparts who accused him of shirking America’s role as a global leader and America’s responsibility as history’s largest emitter of planet-warming greenhouse gasses.
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But right now my full responsibility needs to be focused on steadying the ship of state and learning about all the departments and what the possibilities for new programs might be.
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The IS group also claimed responsibility for that bombing, which ultimately led to the resignation of Iraq’s interior minister.
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One important board responsibility is to adopt and enforce community rules.
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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in London Friday that the U.S. accepts responsibility for the leaks.
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The Islamic State group in Egypt claimed responsibility for them and vowed more attacks.
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
First Known Use: 1771
RESPONSIBILITY Defined for English Language Learners
responsibility
playDefinition of responsibility for English Language Learners
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: the state of being the person who caused something to happen
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: a duty or task that you are required or expected to do
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: something that you should do because it is morally right, legally required, etc.
RESPONSIBILITY Defined for Kids
responsibility
playDefinition of responsibility for Students
responsibilities
1 : the quality or state of being in charge of someone or something
2 : the quality of being dependable Show responsibility by always doing your homework.
3 : something or someone for which someone has charge The children are my responsibility.
Learn More about responsibility
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See words that rhyme with responsibility Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for responsibility Spanish Central: Translation of responsibility Nglish: Translation of responsibility for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of responsibility for Arabic speakers
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