responsible

responsible — adjective

1. given the duty to look after a person, task, or area and make decisions about it

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

given the duty to look after a person, task, or area and make decisions about it

Example

The building superintendent is responsible for keeping the entire apartment complex clean and safe.

responsible for + gerund

Dr. Okafor is responsible for twenty patients on the fourth floor of the hospital.

responsible for + number of people

Common collocations
  • responsible for + gerund
  • responsible for + noun phrase
  • directly responsible for
  • primarily responsible for
Synonyms
  • in charge of

    less formal; emphasizes authority rather than duty

  • in control of

    focuses on having power over a situation, not duty of care

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

responsible + for + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Frequently used with a gerund (verb + -ing) after 'for' to describe ongoing duties.

Common Mistakes

The manager is responsible to keep the store clean.
The manager is responsible for keeping the store clean.
after 'responsible', use 'for' + gerund, not 'to' + infinitive.

2. expected to give an account of your decisions or actions to a person or group wi

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

expected to give an account of your decisions or actions to a person or group with more authority

Example

The warehouse manager is directly responsible to the regional director for all shipping operations.

responsible to [authority] for [duties]

In this organisation, every team leader is responsible to the head of the department.

Common collocations
  • directly responsible to
  • responsible to the board
  • responsible to the director
  • responsible to the public
Synonyms
  • accountable to

    more formal; carries a stronger sense of being judged or penalised

  • answerable to

    slightly more formal; emphasises the need to give explanations

Grammar Patterns

responsible + to + person/body

Usage Note

Often paired with 'for' to specify scope: 'responsible to [person] for [duties]'. This sense focuses on hierarchy rather than blame.

3. being the person or thing that made something happen, especially something unple

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

being the person or thing that made something happen, especially something unpleasant

Example

The police detective is still trying to find out who was responsible for the break-in at the jewellery store.

responsible for + crime/incident

A short circuit in the old wiring was responsible for starting the fire in the factory.

Common collocations
  • responsible for the accident
  • responsible for the damage
  • responsible for the mistake
  • responsible for the delay
  • responsible for the loss
Synonyms
  • to blame for

    carries a stronger judgment of fault; mostly used for people

  • at fault

    focuses on guilt rather than causation

  • the cause of

    neutral; can be used for both good and bad outcomes

Antonyms
  • not to blame

    opposite when the outcome is negative

  • innocent of

    used when someone is accused but did not cause the event

Grammar Patterns

responsible + for + noun/gerund (negative outcome)

Usage Note

Can describe both people and things (weather, equipment failure, etc.) as causes. When describing people, it often carries blame.

Common Mistakes

Who is responsible of the accident?
Who is responsible for the accident?
after 'responsible', always use 'for', never 'of'.

4. to say that a particular person or group should be blamed and punished for somet

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

to say that a particular person or group should be blamed and punished for something bad that happened

Example

The shareholders held the chief executive responsible for the sudden drop in company profits.

hold [sb] responsible for [sth]

The school principal can hold parents responsible for damage their children cause to school property.

Common collocations
  • hold responsible for
  • be held responsible
  • hold someone responsible
  • find someone responsible
  • held legally responsible
Synonyms
  • blame

    simpler and less formal; does not carry the same implication of formal punishment

  • find guilty of

    limited to legal contexts; carries a stronger judgment of wrongdoing

Antonyms
  • absolve

    formal; means to free someone from blame

  • excuse

    less formal; suggests letting someone off without punishment

Grammar Patterns

hold + person + responsible + for + noun/gerund

be held responsible + for + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the construction 'hold [someone] responsible for [something]'. The passive form 'be held responsible' is very common in legal and formal contexts.

5. having the mental ability to understand right from wrong and to be legally blame

5.adjectiveC1
Definition

having the mental ability to understand right from wrong and to be legally blamed for your own actions

Example

The court must decide whether the teenager was responsible for his actions when the crime took place.

responsible for [one's own] actions

A person with severe mental illness may not be considered legally responsible for their behaviour.

legally responsible for behaviour

Common collocations
  • legally responsible
  • criminally responsible
  • morally responsible
  • responsible for one's actions
  • responsible for one's behaviour
Synonyms
  • accountable

    broader meaning; less tied to mental capacity and more to general responsibility

  • sane

    a clinical or legal term that specifically refers to soundness of mind

Antonyms
  • not responsible

    the legal finding when a person lacks mental capacity

  • insane

    stronger; a clinical or legal term meaning not of sound mind

Grammar Patterns

responsible + for + possessive + actions/behaviour

Usage Note

Primarily a legal term. Often paired with adverbs like 'legally', 'criminally', or 'morally'. Distinguish from sense 3 (causation) — this sense is about mental capacity rather than whether someone caused the event.

Common Mistakes

He was not responsible of his actions.
He was not responsible for his actions.
always use 'for', never 'of'.

6. able to be trusted to do what is right, to make good decisions, and to keep prom

6.adjectiveB1
Definition

able to be trusted to do what is right, to make good decisions, and to keep promises

Example

The hotel manager needs a responsible person to handle the night-time guest check-ins.

responsible person / employee / citizen

Tanvi is one of the most responsible students in the class — she always finishes her homework on time.

Common collocations
  • responsible adult
  • responsible person
  • responsible parent
  • responsible citizen
  • responsible driver
  • responsible employee
Synonyms
  • trustworthy

    focuses on honesty and reliability rather than decision-making ability

  • dependable

    emphasises consistency; you can count on the person

  • reliable

    similar to dependable; suggests a person does what they say they will

  • sensible

    focuses on having good judgment and practical wisdom

Antonyms
  • irresponsible

    direct opposite; describes someone who cannot be trusted

  • unreliable

    suggests a person does not keep promises or complete tasks

  • reckless

    stronger; suggests a person acts without care for consequences

Grammar Patterns

responsible + noun

be + responsible

Usage Note

Can be used before a noun (a responsible adult) or after a linking verb (she is very responsible). The meaning shifts slightly depending on the noun it modifies: a 'responsible driver' follows rules; a 'responsible friend' keeps secrets.

7. describing a job or position that involves important decisions and duties, requi

7.adjectiveB1
Definition

describing a job or position that involves important decisions and duties, requiring a trustworthy person

Example

After five years of hard work, Yuna was finally offered a responsible position in the marketing department.

responsible position / job / role

Being a commercial airline pilot is one of the most responsible jobs a person can have.

Common collocations
  • responsible position
  • responsible job
  • responsible role
  • highly responsible
  • a responsible post
Synonyms
  • demanding

    focuses on the difficulty and workload rather than importance

  • high-level

    suggests a position of power within a hierarchy

  • senior

    specifically about rank within an organisation

Antonyms
  • junior

    describes a lower-level position with fewer duties

  • minor

    suggests the position has little importance or authority

Grammar Patterns

responsible + position/job/role

Usage Note

Only used attributively (before a noun). You cannot say 'This job is very responsible' — instead say 'This is a very responsible job'. The word describes the nature of the role, not the person doing it.

Common Mistakes

My job is responsible.
I have a responsible job.
'responsible' before a noun describes the job itself; it cannot be used predicatively for this sense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While 'responsible' in sense 1 focuses on having a duty to manage or care for something, 'accountable' is stronger — it implies a formal obligation to answer for outcomes, often to an authority that can impose penalties. For example, a CEO is responsible for company strategy but is ultimately accountable to the board of directors. 'Liable' is narrower and legal/financial: it means someone can be forced by law to pay compensation or face a penalty (e.g., 'The company is liable for the damages'). 'Trustworthy' overlaps with sense 6 rather than sense 1 — it describes a person's character (reliable, honest) rather than a duty. A responsible manager has duties; a trustworthy manager keeps promises. In short: you are responsible for a task, accountable to a superior, liable for a debt or harm, and trustworthy by nature.

accountable ↗liable ↗trustworthy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • hold someone responsible
  • be held responsible
  • find someone responsible
  • make someone responsible
  • feel responsible

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'responsible' entered English from Old French 'responsible', which came from Latin 'responsus' — the past participle of 'respondēre', meaning 'to answer' or 'to respond'. The original idea was 'being called on to answer for something', which evolved over centuries into the modern senses of having duties, being trustworthy, or holding a position of authority.