Responsibility
/rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪti/noun
The state or fact of being accountable for something or having a duty to deal with it.
Did you know?Responsibility comes through Latin *respondere*, a formal legal-religious verb meaning “to answer for” or “to pledge in return,” so the word was born in the world of oaths, obligations, and public accountability.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spend-
“to make a libation, perform a rite, or pledge”
Latin
Latin
respondēre
“to answer, reply, or make a formal pledge in return”
Latin
Latin
responsus
“answered, having replied”
Old French
Old French
responsable
“answerable, liable”
Late Middle English
English
responsibilite
“the state of being answerable or liable”
Modern English
English
responsibility
“the state or fact of being accountable for something”