irresponsible

1 of 2

adjective

ir·​re·​spon·​si·​ble ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce irresponsible (audio)
: 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 noun
irresponsibleness noun
irresponsibly adverb

irresponsible

2 of 2

noun

: a person who is irresponsible

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
Yet growing disillusion with Hamas’ rule is impacting the group’s future prospects each day the war goes on, as residents see it as unresponsive, irresponsible, and lacking basic care for Gaza’s people. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 Tiara Edwards is accused of irresponsible gun ownership resulting in the death of Jamero L. Edwards of Milwaukee. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 The play calls attention to the dangerous reality of right-wing terrorist groups expanding their ranks as once-fringe elements of our society are condoned by irresponsible political leaders, whose partisanship has undermined their fidelity to truth, democracy and the rule of law. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The world is a different place now and Trump should not be making these irresponsible threats. Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2024 The lawsuit accuses gun retailers and manufacturers of irresponsible businesses practices that allowed criminals to access guns. The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Regulatory approaches that prioritize economic interests over the health of people and the planet are inherently irresponsible. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The president's latest betrayal of the working class is costly, irresponsible, unconstitutional, and ineffective. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 24 Feb. 2024 Councilmember Nithya Raman, who voted against the salary agreement last year, has been offering a different assessment, calling the police contract financially irresponsible. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irresponsible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irresponsible was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near irresponsible

Cite this Entry

“Irresponsible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irresponsible. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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 How to pronounce irresponsible (audio)
: not responsible : mentally inadequate to bear responsibility
irresponsibility noun
plural irresponsibilities

More from Merriam-Webster on irresponsible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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