responsible

/ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bəl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: responsibles

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Having the duty of taking care of something; answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

có nhiệm vụ chăm sóc hoặc chịu trách nhiệm về hành động hoặc hậu quả

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Parents are responsible for their child's behaviour.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Being a primary cause of a situation or action and thus able to be blamed or credited for it.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

là nguyên nhân chính của một tình huống hoặc hành động

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Who is responsible for this mess?

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

An actor taking on the lesser roles in repertory theatre.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Diễn viên đóng vai phụ trong nhà hát kịch

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

[…] first appeared on August Bank Holiday, 1901, at Grand Theatre, Llandudno, playing "responsibles" with Edward Compton; […]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “responsible” mean?

Having the duty of taking care of something; answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically.

Is “responsible” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.