Responsibly

How to spell responsibly

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce responsibly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does responsibly mean?

1. adverbIn a way that shows good judgement and accountability for one's actions.

Responsibly in a sentence

• The trustees managed the charity's funds responsibly throughout the year.

• She drinks responsibly and always books a taxi home.

Where does responsibly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin verb respondere, which meant 'to answer' or 'to promise in return', built from re- 'back' and spondere 'to pledge'. From that came the Late Latin responsabilis, describing someone answerable or accountable, literally able to give an answer for their actions. English took the adjective 'responsible' from French in the 1500s, where it carried the sense of being legally or morally answerable, and the adverb 'responsibly' followed naturally. The same spondere root sits inside 'sponsor' and 'spouse', both of which involve a solemn pledge. The spelling trap is the ending: it is -ible, not -able, and when it becomes an adverb the final 'e' drops to give -ibly rather than the expected -ibley.

How the word is built

• re- (back, in return)
• spons (from spondere: to pledge or promise)
• -ible (able to be)
• -ly (adverb)