responsibility

[ ri-spon-suh-bil-i-tee ]
/ rɪˌspɒn səˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun, plural re·spon·si·bil·i·ties.

the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management.
an instance of being responsible: The responsibility for this mess is yours!
a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible: the responsibilities of authority.
a person or thing for which one is responsible: A child is a responsibility to its parents.
reliability or dependability, especially in meeting debts or payments.

Idioms for responsibility

    on one's own responsibility, on one's own initiative or authority: He changed the order on his own responsibility.

Origin of responsibility

First recorded in 1780–90; respons(ible) + -ibility

OTHER WORDS FROM responsibility

non·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, noun, plural non·re·spon·si·bil·i·ties. pre·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, noun, plural pre·re·spon·si·bil·i·ties. self-re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, noun su·per·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty, noun, plural su·per·re·spon·si·bil·i·ties.

Example sentences from the Web for responsibility

British Dictionary definitions for responsibility

responsibility
/ (rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or position of being responsible
a person or thing for which one is responsible
the ability or authority to act or decide on one's own, without supervision