irresponsible

adjective

Save Word

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

Definition of irresponsible

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

irresponsible

noun

Definition of irresponsible (Entry 2 of 2)

: a person who is irresponsible

Other Words from irresponsible Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About irresponsible

Other Words from irresponsible

Adjective

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

Synonyms & Antonyms for irresponsible

Synonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Adjective

responsible

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 They were summoned by the foreign ministry, which called the statement irresponsible. — Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2021 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Republicans irresponsible for refusing to help cover spending approved during the Trump administration. — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2021 The Drug Policy Alliance, a group that advocates for decriminalization and safe drug use policies, called the video irresponsible. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2021 Democrats have assailed the governor, calling him irresponsible and accusing him of trying to shift blame over the handling of the pandemic. — BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2021 Democrats have assailed the governor, calling him irresponsible and accusing him of trying to shift blame over the handling of the pandemic. — New York Times, 6 Aug. 2021 However, there are also significant downsides and difficulties that would be irresponsible to ignore, both in the global and the personal levels. — Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2021 Sometimes irresponsible behavior and sometimes heroic behavior. — David Marchese, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2021 And touting ivermectin as a response to covid is incredibly irresponsible. — Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'irresponsible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.