Synonyms of answerability

answerability 1 of 2

noun

as in accountability

willingness or obligation to explain one's actions or to admit being the cause of a problem

Without any answerability to the people, the despot's actions were motivated by a desire for personal enrichment.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accountability
• responsibility
• liability
• blame
• fault

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unaccountability

answerable

2 of 2

adjective

ˈan(t)-s(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

as in responsible

being the one who must meet an obligation or suffer the consequences for failing to do so

you are answerable for your own conduct at all times

Synonyms & Similar Words

• responsible
• liable
• accountable
• amenable
• indebted
• beholden
• obligated
• obliged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unaccountable
• irresponsible
• exempt
• immune
• nonaccountable

2

as in resolvable

capable of having the reason for or cause of determined

they say this equation is not answerable

Synonyms & Similar Words

• resolvable
• feasible
• explainable
• soluble
• explicable
• solvable
• analyzable
• workable
• decipherable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• insoluble
• inexplicable
• difficult
• hopeless
• unsolvable
• impossible
• unexplainable
• inextricable
• knotty
• insolvable
• unresolvable
• insuperable
• absurd
• ridiculous
• preposterous
• outlandish
• fantastic
• fantastical

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective answerable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of answerable are accountable, amenable, liable, and responsible. While all these words mean "subject to being held to account," 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

Where would accountable be a reasonable alternative to answerable?

The synonyms accountable and answerable are sometimes interchangeable, but accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation.

elected officials are accountable to the voters

How do amenable and liable relate to one another, in the sense of answerable?

Both 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

When can responsible be used instead of answerable?

The meanings of responsible and answerable largely overlap; however, responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.

the bureau responsible for revenue collection

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of answerability

Adjective

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

Immaturity now struts in the public sphere, answerable to no one. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024