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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Grant has long emphasized lead pipes at homes and businesses are the responsibility of the property owner, not S&WB.
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The filing asks the panel to determine the responsibility of the U.S. for human rights violations against foreign workers in Hawaii’s longline fishing fleet.
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The Reds Community Fund and P&G split two of the biggest responsibilities for the project — each year, the Reds select the neighborhood for the makeover, and this year, more than 300 local P&G employeesmake up the lion’s share of the volunteers.
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Most relief pitchers are failed starters who’ve had to settle for lesser responsibilities in the pen.
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By their nature these media are archetypal and reductive, and anyone audacious enough to translate Fitzgerald has to accept that responsibility.
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The bridges are now the responsibility of the county's Department of Development and Storm Water Management.
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On one level, Kushner’s private-sector experience appears wholly irrelevant to his current responsibilities.
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With great reboot power comes great responsibility.
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
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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