RESPONSIBILITY Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

responsibility

noun

ri-ˌspän(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē

Definition of responsibility

as in blame

the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right responsibility for the accident lies with the driver who was speeding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in obligation

something one must do because of prior agreement I had the responsibility of closing up the shop at night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reliability

worthiness as the recipient of another's trust or confidence the newspaper publisher should hire kids of greater responsibility to deliver its papers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of responsibility North Korea denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of strong retaliation if provoked. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 Their true individuality is what makes American fashion so compelling and supporting their future is the responsibility of our industry. — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026 OutKick asked Bass whether the NBA has a role in overseeing or enforcing that provision, or whether enforcement is solely the WNBA’s responsibility. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Hearing Katerina admit her sense of responsibility for Ultron feels significant, though most of the story is still missing. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for responsibility

Recent Examples of Synonyms for responsibility

Noun

Children’s Mercy didn’t explicitly lay the blame on a failure to expand Medicaid or the expiration of premium tax credits in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

— Jack Harvel October 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
He has been sacked 17 times in six games, but the blame really should be on the coach for having a poor game plan.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of blame

Noun

Such a decision can affect production scheduling, inventory needs, employee activities and customers’ obligations.

— Ramachander Rao Thallada, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Anthropic's off-balance-sheet obligations are similarly large.

— Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of obligation

Noun

Those allegations include neglect of duty and violations of the department's code of conduct.

— Derek James, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
The university said Elizabeth Hall, associate vice chancellor for university compliance, was appointed to serve in both roles in addition to her existing duties.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of duty

Noun

Start with the community With a pragmatic and fair approach, data center infrastructure can operate from a combination of baseload fuels, battery storage, and renewables, while prioritizing community needs and impacts.

— Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Rather than as a one-time session, our survivorship clinic builds relationships with survivors, supporting them as their needs change over time.

— Marci Lee Nilsen, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of need

Noun

As case counts surged in the initial months of the outbreak, population and demographic data revealed who was shouldering the greatest burdens.

— Julie Morita, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
These were expensive and life-changing burdens, even for those who avoided trial and conviction.

— Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of burden

Noun

Nvidia's most recent quarterly financial filing in August outlined over $500 billion in off-balance-sheet commitments over the coming years, with a majority maturing through fiscal 2029.

— Kif Leswing,Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The Biden administration also had a commitment to AI safety that annoyed AI companies.

— Nina Verdelli, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of commitment

Browse Nearby Words

responsibilities

responsibility

responsible

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Responsibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/responsibility. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of responsibility

noun

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