irresponsible

1 of 2

adjective

ir·​re·​spon·​si·​ble ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl 

: not responsible: such as

a

: lacking a sense of responsibility

b

: said or done with no sense of responsibility

irresponsible accusations

c

: unable especially mentally or financially to bear responsibility

d

: not answerable to higher authority

an irresponsible dictatorship

irresponsibility

ˌir-i-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

irresponsibleness

ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl-nəs 

noun

irresponsibly

ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-blē 

adverb

irresponsible

2 of 2

noun

: a person who is irresponsible

Synonyms

Adjective

• reckless

Examples of irresponsible in a Sentence

Adjective

He's too irresponsible to keep a job for more than a week.

She made irresponsible comments that helped cause the riot.

It would be irresponsible to ignore the threats.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

With irresponsible threats to quit patrolling the streets of Deerfield Beach, Sheriff Gregory Tony is using scare tactics and putting the public at risk. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025

In this era of short attention spans, headlines like this one are completely irresponsible. —Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025

Continue reading … 'FLAT-OUT WRONG' – White House promises 'irresponsible' Iran strike leaker will be held accountable. —FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025

As research from the Aspen Institute lays out, the framing of excessive student loan debt as irresponsible is inaccurate. —Aisha Nyandoro, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irresponsible

• responsible
• sponsible

Kids Definition

irresponsible

adjective

ir·​re·​spon·​si·​ble

ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl

1

: not legally responsible

2

: having or showing no sense of responsibility

irresponsible behavior

3

: unable to bear responsibility

irresponsibility

-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

irresponsibly

-ˈspän(t)-sə-blē

adverb

Medical Definition

irresponsible

adjective

ir·​re·​spon·​si·​ble ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl 

: not responsible : mentally inadequate to bear responsibility

irresponsibility

-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural irresponsibilities