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 Panduru also pointed out that the responsibility to stay fresh lies with each individual, since shooting is about living the moment with everyone on set. — Jenny S. Li, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026 Her campaign focused on student safety, quality education and fiscal responsibility. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026 There was no claim of responsibility and officials did not attribute blame. — Reuters, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026 But the people who have spent three seasons assigning that responsibility to Clark should explain why their standard apparently disappears when applying it would require them to make demands of Reese. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for responsibility

Recent Examples of Synonyms for responsibility

Noun

If El-Sayed loses, there will be a fight over blame between Democrats who spent tens of millions of dollars to support him and progressives who’ll argue that the party establishment can’t be trusted when leftist candidates win a nomination.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
But fans who looked at the All-22 video of the play weren’t ready to put all the blame on Mahomes, and that created an interesting discourse.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of blame

Noun

Someone who initially buys enough insurance to replace income, pay a mortgage and support young children, for example, could reduce the death benefit later as those obligations disappear.

— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
As work and home obligations take up more of your focus, burnout can slowly sap your sense of joy and wonder in everyday life.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of obligation

Noun

As of late October, the 3-euro duty was still affecting annual volumes into the EU.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026
An off-duty police officer was at the store working private security at the time of the shooting and immediately responded to the gunfire, police said.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of duty

Noun

The Moon in your sign opposes Saturn, bringing your needs into contact with another person’s conditions.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Even some Democrats who had endorsed more progressive policies in the past were urging the party to focus on economic needs first, and convince the voters who broke from the GOP this year that the party deserved a long-term mandate.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of need

Noun

However, this setup places the burden on disabled people to recognize discrimination, document it, and push back.

— Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
For working people, patient care coordinators and families who rely on this crossing for their daily commutes, this toll is a crushing financial burden rather than a solution to traffic.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of burden

Noun

Those fans deserve an organization that matches their commitment with the same level of excellence, urgency, and accountability.

— Stephan Pechdimaldji, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Rutgers has received commitments from 4-star forward Brandon Woodard, 4-star guard RJ Moore and 3-star guard Korey Francis as part of its 2027 recruiting class.

— Everett Merrill, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of responsibility

noun

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