Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

responsibility

/ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.75 in modern English

Syllables: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty
IPA: /ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/

21

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

6

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of being responsible, accountable, or answerable.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The state of being liable, culpable, or responsible for something in particular.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A duty, obligation or liability for which someone is held accountable.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A duty, obligation or liability for which someone is held accountable.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A duty, obligation or liability for which someone is held accountable.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Responsibility is a heavy burden."
"If parents, teachers, and ministers conducted their responsibilities by following the ratings, children would have a steady diet of ice cream, school holidays, and no Sunday school."
"After all, it is undeniable that the B.R. standard coach scored highly in comparative trials with other European railway vehicles on the Continent a few years ago, so that B.R. civil engineers must share responsibility for any defects in its behaviour over here."
"The vast majority of American Jews not only greatly dislike President Trump but also believe he has made them less safe: according to a May 2019 poll, nearly three-quarters of Jewish voters believe American Jews are less secure under Trump than they were before, 71 percent disapprove of Trump’s overall job performance, and nearly 60 percent believe that he bears at least some responsibility for the synagogue shootings carried out by white nationalists in Pittsburgh and Poway."
"Why didn't you clean the house? That was your responsibility!"
"The responsibility of the great states is to serve and not to dominate the world"

Etymology

From responsible + -ity. Although the components are of French origin, the compound appears to have been formed in English. Later-attested French responsabilité is modeled on the English word, and Italian responsabilità is in turn modeled on the French.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: responsible

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/
British English: /ɹɪˌspɒn.səˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/

Usage

Inflected Forms

responsibilities (plural)

Derived Forms

interresponsibility irresponsibility nonresponsibility

Phrases

age of criminal responsibility chain-of-responsibility pattern command responsibility co-responsibility corporate social responsibility diminished responsibility single responsibility principle social responsibility

Frequently Paired Words

respond accountability

Synonyms

guilt place charge responsibleness duty obligation province

Rhymes With

utility availability capability mobility flexibility reliability fertility hostility volatility nobility feasibility viability

Questions

How do you pronounce responsibility?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/.
What does responsibility mean?: The state of being responsible, accountable, or answerable.
Where does responsibility come from?: From responsible + -ity. Although the components are of French origin, the compound appears to have been formed in English. Later-attested French responsabilité is modeled on the English word, and Italian responsabilità is in turn modeled on the French.

How to pronounce responsibility

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “responsibility”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “responsibility” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.