RESPONSIBILITY Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

responsibility

noun

ri-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē

Definition of responsibility

as in blame

the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right responsibility for the accident lies with the driver who was speeding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in obligation

something one must do because of prior agreement I had the responsibility of closing up the shop at night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reliability

worthiness as the recipient of another's trust or confidence the newspaper publisher should hire kids of greater responsibility to deliver its papers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of responsibility Schleinzer made a deliberate choice not to depict the assaults themselves, arguing that images carry a responsibility, particularly in a culture saturated with graphic representations of suffering. — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 This summer, Duncan suggested Clark bore some responsibility for a wildly inappropriate USA Today column in which the author invoked Emmett Till while warning that Clark's silence in the face of online criticism could endanger black women. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Advertisement Huber says that the campus community believes Cornell is ultimately deflecting responsibility. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 14 Oct. 2026 The most efficient way to provide property tax relief is for the General Assembly to adequately fund its responsibilities. — Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for responsibility

Recent Examples of Synonyms for responsibility

Noun

However, desperate to enjoy all the benefits of her unconventional and self-serving situation, without shouldering any of the blame, Uta proposes that Morio be the donor for Junna’s child, and that all three of them move in together.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
On message boards and on call-in shows, Lewis, who turned 19 late last month, has shouldered much of the blame.

— Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of blame

Noun

The data being pulled from an optional survey can create limits in the overall reliability of the data.

— William Jones, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Operational reliability, targeting accuracy, command-and-control arrangements, survivability, and integration with existing military systems will all influence its eventual strategic value.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of reliability

Noun

Donald is taking on a support role with BBC Studios alongside his day-to-day duties running his Cosmopolitan Pictures indie.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
At a news conference, Ali Daamoush accused the Lebanese state of failing to carry out its duties to help the displaced.

— Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of duty

Noun

The technology could also reduce the need to closely match battery cells during manufacturing, since the pack would be better able to accommodate differences in cell performance.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Mercury in your 7th House quincunxes Saturn in your private 12th, making relationships, conversations, and unspoken needs harder to read at first.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of need

Noun

And the global threats to health risk amplifying existing inequalities, with the greatest burden falling on the most vulnerable communities.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
But carrying that burden forward with nothing more than hope to balance it, passing it on to future generations, explaining it to strangers, is too much.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of burden

Noun

More than 70 companies have also signed on to contribute to employees’ children’s accounts, the White House said, following early commitments from firms like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America.

— Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
Today, many more American women are choosing Lee Krasner’s lifestyle and her commitments; but to pioneer took a special kind of courage.

— Barbara Rose, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of commitment

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responsibilities

responsibility

responsible

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Style

“Responsibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/responsibility. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of responsibility

noun

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