answerable

adjective

an·​swer·​able ˈan(t)-s(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

: liable to be called to account : responsible

The specialists who design the programs work for and are answerable to distant development agencies.

—Samia Altaf

The Fed's prestige is back up, and meanwhile we have a Congress that is elected and is answerable to the people …

—Adam Smith

2

: capable of being answered or refuted

There has been a controversy on the question of whether the species was genetically closer to the horse or to the zebra. This question may possibly be answerable now that DNA from the three species is available for comparison.

—Harold M. Schmeck, Jr.

an answerable assertion

3

archaic : suitable, adequate

4

archaic : corresponding, similar

answerability

ˌan(t)-s(ə-)rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• accountable
• amenable
• liable
• responsible

Choose the Right Synonym for answerable

responsible, answerable, accountable, amenable, liable mean subject to being held to account.

responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.

the bureau responsible for revenue collection

answerable suggests a relation between one having a moral or legal obligation and a court or other authority charged with oversight of its observance.

an intelligence agency answerable to Congress

accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation.

elected officials are accountable to the voters

amenable and liable stress the fact of subjection to review, censure, or control by a designated authority under certain conditions.

laws are amenable to judicial review

not liable for the debts of the former spouse

Examples of answerable in a Sentence

a powerful businesswoman who seems to think that she's answerable to no one

you are answerable for your own conduct at all times

Recent Examples on the Web

While the executive team run Newcastle on a day-to-day basis, the strategy is determined by the board and senior staff are answerable to the directors. —Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 25 July 2024

Finally, accountability refers to the publisher being answerable and responsible for their work, such as making corrections. —Quinn Clark, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024

Getting this message across to executives—answerable to shareholders—and trying to give them a path forward is hard. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 27 Sep. 2024

The question about the existence (or not) of extraterrestrial life in the Milky Way may therefore be answerable only via an aggressive astronomical search for life itself. —Mario Livio, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

answerable

adjective

an·​swer·​able ˈan(t)s-(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

: getting the credit or blame for one's acts or decisions : responsible

2

: capable of being answered or proved wrong

answerability

ˌan(t)s-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun