Try This Instead

For
Try This
a responsible adult
a dependable adult
a reliable adult
a trustworthy adult
an accountable adult
responsible decisions
careful decisions
mature decisions
appropriate decisions
thoughtful decisions
proactive decisions
a responsible government
a capable government
a competent government
a vigilant government
a prudent government
a resourceful government
responsible behavior
reliable behavior
righteous behavior
dependable behavior
mature behavior
accountable behavior

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective responsible contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of responsible are accountable, amenable, answerable, and liable. While all these words mean "subject to being held to account," responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.

the bureau responsible for revenue collection

When could accountable be used to replace responsible?

The words accountable and responsible are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 responsible?

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 is it sensible to use answerable instead of responsible?

The synonyms answerable and responsible are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Examples of responsible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With the help of her friends, Wendie discovers a supernatural creature is responsible for many of the village’s ills. Jamie Lang, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024 The department was established in 2010 to replace the California Integrated Waste Management Board and is responsible for recycling all solid waste in California. Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 An assistant coach is responsible for each topic, researching and presenting examples to the entire defense every week. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 The attorney general is also ... responsible for investigating and holding responsible any provider – institutional or otherwise – who may have violated any state or federal privacy laws. Hayleigh Colombo, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for responsible 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'responsible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near responsible

Cite this Entry

“Responsible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/responsible. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on responsible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!