respondent

respondent — noun

1. a person who gives answers to questions in a survey, poll, or other official stu

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who gives answers to questions in a survey, poll, or other official study carried out by researchers or organisations.

Example

Liang was one of over two thousand respondents in the national health survey.

collocation: survey respondent

The research team called each respondent the next day to verify their answers.

Common collocations
  • survey respondent
  • poll respondent
  • respondent group
  • respondent sample
  • respondent to the questionnaire
Synonyms
  • participant

    broader term; a participant takes part in any activity, not necessarily by answering questions

  • interviewee

    used for one-on-one or small-group questioning rather than large-scale surveys

  • subject

    neutral term in research contexts, but can sound less voluntary than 'respondent'

Antonyms

Usage Note

Frequently used with a modifier specifying the type of study: 'survey respondent', 'poll respondent', 'questionnaire respondent'. The preposition 'to' can introduce the topic: 'respondents to the survey'.

Common Mistakes

The respondent answered to the police officer's questions.
The respondent answered the police officer's questions.
'Respondent' implies a formal survey or legal context, not everyday conversation. Use 'person' or 'witness' for general answering.

2. in legal proceedings, the side that answers a formal complaint or request brough

2.nounB2
Definition

in legal proceedings, the side that answers a formal complaint or request brought to a court, most often in a divorce, custody, or appeal case.

Example

The respondent denied every claim made in the divorce petition.

legal register: respondent + denied claims

Gita's lawyer filed a detailed response on behalf of the respondent in the custody hearing.

Common collocations
  • the respondent in the case
  • respondent's lawyer
  • respondent's response
  • petitioner and respondent
Synonyms
  • defendant

    used in criminal and civil cases more broadly; 'respondent' is specifically for petitions and appeals

  • appellee

    the party who won at trial and responds to an appeal; more technical than 'respondent'

Antonyms
  • petitioner

    the person who starts the case by filing a petition

  • appellant

    the person who appeals a court decision to a higher court

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (SURVEY PARTICIPANT): in legal contexts, the respondent is a specific party to a case, not someone voluntarily answering questions. Contrasts with 'petitioner' (the person who starts the case). In appellate courts, 'respondent' is the party who won at the earlier trial; the losing party is the 'appellant'.

Common Mistakes

The respondent was charged with theft and taken to prison.
The respondent was served with the divorce papers and given time to reply.
'Respondent' is used in civil cases (divorce, custody, appeals), not criminal cases. Use 'defendant' for criminal charges.

respondent — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people involved in research, but they differ in scope and connotation. A 'respondent' specifically answers questions — in a survey, poll, or questionnaire — and implies a one-way flow of information from the person to the researcher. A 'participant' is a broader term: the person takes part in an activity (a study, experiment, workshop, or clinical trial) which may or may not involve answering questions. An 'interviewee' is someone questioned face-to-face or in a small-group setting, often with open-ended questions and follow-up probing; this term suggests a deeper, more conversational exchange than 'respondent'. A 'subject' is a neutral, scientific term used in experiments where the person undergoes a procedure or observation; it can sound impersonal and is increasingly avoided in favour of 'participant' in ethical guidelines. For example: 'The respondent ticked "strongly agree" on the survey form', but 'The participant completed a memory task while the researcher measured brain activity.'

respondent ↗participant ↗intervieweesubject ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • respondent in the case
  • respondent to the survey

Prepositions

  • respondent to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'respondēre', meaning 'to answer, to respond', formed from 're-' (back, again) + 'spondēre' (to promise, to pledge). Entered English in the early 1500s through legal French, first as a noun for the person answering in court, then broadened to anyone who answers questions in any formal setting.