Responsible

Responsible

Adjective · /rɪˈspɒnsɪbl/ · having an obligation to do something; being the cause of something; being trustworthy and reliable

Definition

Responsible carries three closely linked meanings. First, it means having a duty or obligation: the manager is responsible for the team's output. Second, it means being the cause of something: who is responsible for this mistake? Third, it describes character: a responsible person is one who can be trusted to act reliably and sensibly. These meanings all share the same root idea — a connection between a person and an outcome that cannot be passed to someone else.

Origin

From French responsable and Latin responsabilis — that can be answered for. Derived from respondere — to answer, to pledge. The suffix -able turns the verb into an adjective: capable of being answered for. To be responsible is literally to be someone who can be held to account — someone who must answer when called. The word arrived in English in the 17th century and quickly became central to the vocabulary of law, governance, and personal ethics.