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American Heritage Dictionary: re·spon·si·bil·i·ty Top

Translations
Copyrights Home  Library  Literature & Language  Dictionary 

(rĭ-spŏn'sə-bĭl 'ĭ-tē)  Related answers

Library What is the primary responsibility responsibility of us
n., pl., -ties.
Animal Life congress?
The state, quality, or fact of being responsible.
Business & Finance How you can be responsibility?
Something for which one is responsible; a duty, obligation, or burden. Responsibility's of a nurse?
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What are the responsibilities of a nurse?
Entertainment & Arts
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Literature & Langu… In object technology, a processing step that an object can perform. What are their responsibilities they have to do?
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Religion & Spirituality Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your PC, iPhone or Android. What responsibilities did they have?
Science What are there responsibility?
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 Obligation to perform. In the classical view, this obligation formally comes down from a superior position
and is inherent in any job (it has its origins in the rights of private property as defined by the
appropriate laws). In the behavioral view, responsibility must and should be delegated; a successive
dividing and passing down of obligation occurs. The appropriate amount of authority or power must be
delegated with the responsibility. However, a higher position can never rid itself of ultimate
responsibility.

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Roget's Thesaurus: responsibility Top

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noun Related Coupons

An act or course of action that is demanded of one, as by position, custom, law, or religion: burden1,
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n
Mentioned in
Definition: accountability, blame
hypengyophobia
Antonyms: exemption, freedom, immunity, irresponsibility
accountability
flightiness
n exemption
Obligation (finance term)
Definition: maturity, trustworthiness
MORE 
Antonyms: distrust, immaturity, irresponsibility

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 Debt Responsibility
Oxford Dictionary of the US Military: responsibility Top

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© 2014 Answers
n. 1. the obligation to carry forward an assigned task to a successful conclusion. With responsibility goes
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authority to direct and take the necessary action to ensure success.
Privacy Policy
Consumer Choice IP Issues 2. the obligation for the proper custody, care, and safekeeping of property or funds entrusted to the
Disclaimer Write Articles possession or supervision of an individual. Compare with accountability.
Directory
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy: responsibility Top

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Socially, peoples' responsibilities are those things for which they are accountable; failure to discharge a
responsibility renders one liable to some censure or penalty. A job, or profession, or social role will be
partly defined in terms of the responsibilities it involves. The extent of responsibility not just for oneself
but for others is a central topic for political and ethical theory (‘Am I my brother's keeper?’).
Understanding the nature of our causal responsibility for our own thoughts, natures, and actions is the
main problem in any theory of action. See free will.

Barron's Law Dictionary: responsibility Top

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The obligation to answer for an act and to repair any injury caused by that act, 426 P. 2d 828, 835; the
state of being answerable for an obligation, 316 S.W. 2d 662, 671; as used in statutes such as those
governing awards of local public contracts to “responsible bidders,” the term refers to “the characteristic
the absence of which would cause fairminded and reasonable men to believe it was not in the best
interest of the municipality to award the contract to the lowest bidder,” 432 A. 2d 564, 566, and may
involve experience, financial ability and adequate facilities. 149 A. 2d 228, 234.

Oxford Companion to the Mind: responsibility Top

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In ordinary discourse some people are spoken of as 'not responsible' for acts or omissions, but there are
several uses of the term 'responsible'. For example, not only people but things or events also are spoken
of as 'responsible' for occurrences or non-occurrences, when all that is meant is that they had a part in
the physical causation of them. Again, people are said to be 'responsible' for other people — such as
their children — or for organizations, in the sense that they are morally or legally culpable if the latter
misbehave. In the sense, however, with which we here are concerned, 'responsible' means 'to some
extent culpable (either morally or in law, according to the context) for one's own acts or omissions'. The
ascription of responsibility in this sense depends on what we believe to have been the person's mental
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 ascription of responsibility in this sense depends on what we believe to have been the person's mental
state at or before the time of the act or omission. 'Premeditation' usually makes an objectionable act
seem more culpable. If the actor foresaw a real possibility of his causing harm — for example, by his way
of driving — his act or omission will be called 'reckless', and blamed accordingly. If he did not foresee it,
but we think that he should have, he may be called 'negligent', and blamed accordingly — usually less
than for 'recklessness'. The law, too, makes distinctions of this sort, although with more subtlety (for
example, civil law takes into account 'contributory negligence' by the person harmed).

More often it is the actor's state of mind at the time of the act — or more precisely what it is believed to
have been — that determines the degree to which he is regarded as blameworthy. If the act seems to
have been quite accidental — if for instance he knocks over a child whom he did not see in his path —
he is not blamed, unless we think that he should have been aware of this as a real possibility. Again, if
his physical movements that did the harm were of a kind which are not willed, then he is not blamed:
examples are the movements of a sleepwalker, or of a man who is sneezing. This excuse is called
'automatism' by English lawyers. Criminal courts usually demand medical evidence before accepting it,
since it is usually based on abnormal cerebral conditions, such as an epileptic fit, or a hypoglycaemic
state (which may occur in diabetics).

In certain situations, however, lawyers — and ordinary people — regard intentional actions as excused.
Violence may be excused by the belief that one is about to be killed by the other person and that there is
no alternative (such as escape). 'Necessity' is an excuse in the US Model Penal Code, although English
judicial decisions are hostile to it. 'Duress' — acting under threats of death to oneself or one's family — is
sometimes accepted. About 'superior orders' there is even more disagreement. An official executioner
who carries out a lawful sentence of death is not legally culpable, but is morally condemned by many
people for accepting the task. Carrying out an order which one knows to be unlawful usually incurs
moral — and sometimes legal — blame, unless one does so in the knowledge that one would suffer
death or a severe penalty for disobedience.

Even uncoerced intentional acts, however, may be excused, or at least mitigated, by other explanations.
Provocation, if sufficient, is accepted by English law as lessening culpability rather than excusing the act
completely, although courts are sometimes persuaded by it not to penalize the convicted person. Less
transient mental states may also mitigate or even excuse. An example is an abnormal inability to control
desires or impulses, especially if given a psychiatric label such as 'psychopathic'. Other mental states,
such as depression, frequently persuade courts to forgo penalties, and, if a hospital or clinic is willing to
accept the sufferer, to entrust him to psychiatric care and treatment. The extent to which such states
protect the sufferer against moral censure varies with the circumstances and the viewpoint of the
censurer. The English Homicide Act of 1957 (following Scots common law) allows a person charged with
murder (but paradoxically not attempted murder) to offer a plea of 'diminished responsibility': if
successful this reduces the crime to manslaughter, and allows the judge freedom to impose a less severe
sentence than life imprisonment. (The Infanticide Act of 1938 allows a somewhat similar plea of
'disturbed balance of mind' to a mother who kills a baby to whom she has given birth within the previous
twelve months.)

Some kinds and degrees of mental disorder are regarded as excusing offenders completely. English law
recognizes an 'insanity defence'. To qualify, the offender must, at the time of his act or omission, have

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 recognizes an 'insanity defence'. To qualify, the offender must, at the time of his act or omission, have
been suffering from a 'disease of the mind' (in more modern language 'mental disorder') such that he
did not 'know the nature and quality' of the act, or alternatively know that it was 'wrong' (which is now
interpreted in England as meaning 'against the law'). A third qualifying possibility is that he was
suffering from a delusion which, if true, would have legally justified what he did: for example, a deluded
belief that his life was threatened. In other common-law countries which have adopted and adapted this
defence the exact definitions of the sufficient conditions vary, so that, for instance, 'wrong' can mean
'morally wrong'. In countries which follow the Code Napoléon the rule is simpler: no crime has been
committed if the accused was suffering from démence at the time; but démence — or its equivalent — is
defined very restrictively in practice. Most such countries also recognize 'partial insanity' or its
equivalent as grounds for reducing the severity of the penalty; definitions of states which amount to this
vary greatly.

Moral or political convictions are often regarded — especially by those who share them — as excusing
behaviour which would normally be condemned, such as assassinations, violent demonstrations, or even
genocide. Few legal codes allow for such a defence, although it has been proposed, for example by
Moran (1981).

(Published 1987)
— Nigel D. Walker
Bibliography
Hart, H. L. A. (1968). Punishment and Responsibility.
— —  and Honoré, A. M. (eds.) (1985). Causation in the Law (2nd edn.).
Homicide Act 1957 (UK), s. 2.
Moran, R. (1981). Knowing Right From Wrong.
Report of the Committee on Mentally Abnormal Offenders (1975, Cmnd. 6244), chs. 18, 19.
Walker, N. D. (1984). 'Psychiatric explanations as excuses'. In Roth, M. (ed.), Psychiatry, Human Rights and
the Law.

US Defense Department Military Dictionary: responsibility Top

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(DOD) 1. The obligation to carry forward an assigned task to a successful conclusion. With responsibility
goes authority to direct and take the necessary action to ensure success. 2. The obligation for the proper
custody, care, and safekeeping of property or funds entrusted to the possession or supervision of an
individual. See also accountability.

Devil's Dictionary: responsibility Top

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A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

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 A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck or one's neighbor. In the
days of astrology it was customary to unload it upon a star.
Alas, things ain't what we should see If Eve had let that apple be; And many a feller which had ought
To set with monarchses of thought, Or play some rosy little game With battle-chaps on fields of fame,
Is downed by his unlucky star And hollers: "Peanuts! -- here you are!" "The Sturdy Beggar"

Word Tutor: responsibility Top

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IN BRIEF: n. - The social force that binds you to your obligations and the courses of action demanded by
that force; A form of trustworthiness; The proper sphere or extent of your activities.

 Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust
him. — Booker T. Washington

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Wikipedia on Answers.com: Responsibility

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Look up responsibility in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Responsibility may refer to:
Collective responsibility
Corporate social responsibility
Diffusion of responsibility
Diminished responsibility
Duty
Human responsibilities
Legal liability
Legal responsibility (disambiguation), various meanings
Media responsibility
Moral responsibility
Obligation
Professional responsibility

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 Professional responsibility
Responsibility assumption in spirituality and personal-growth contexts
Single responsibility principle
Social responsibility
Responsibility (song), a song by the Christian punk band MxPx
Cabinet collective responsibility, a constitutional Convention in Governments using the Westminster
System
Individual ministerial responsibility, a constitutional convention guiding Cabinet ministers within
Westminster-style political systems
See also
Accountability
Blame
Moral hazard

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed
by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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Misspellings: responsibility Top

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Common misspelling(s) of responsibility
responnsibilty

Translations: Responsibility Top

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - ansvar, ansvarlighed, forpligtelse

idioms:
diminished responsibility utilregnelighed
on one's own responsibility på eget ansvar
responsibility to ansvar over for
responsibility towards ansvar over for

Nederlands (Dutch)
verantwoordelijk- heid, aansprakelijkheid, betrouwbaarheid verminderde toerekenings- vatbaarheid op
iemands eigen verantwoordelijk- heid

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 Français (French)
n. - responsabilité

idioms:
diminished responsibility responsabilité atténuée
on one's own responsibility sous sa propre responsabilité
responsibility to responsabilité envers
responsibility towards responsabilité envers

Deutsch (German)
n. - Verantwortung, Verpflichtung

idioms:
diminished responsibility verminderte Zurechnungsfähigkeit
on one's own responsibility auf eigene Verantwortung
responsibility to Verantwortung für
responsibility towards Verantwortung für

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ευθύνη, υπευθυνότητα

idioms:
diminished responsibility (νομ.) μειωμένη ευθύνη
on one's own responsibility με αποκλειστική μου ευθύνη
responsibility to ευθύνη έναντι
responsibility towards ευθύνη έναντι

Italiano (Italian)
responsabilitý

idioms:
diminished responsibility responsabilità ridotta
on one's own responsibility sotto la propria responsabilitý
responsibility to/towards responsabilitý verso

Português (Portuguese)
n. - responsabilidade (f)

idioms:
diminished responsibility pouca responsabilidade
on one's own responsibility por sua conta e risco (coloq.)
responsibility to/towards responsabilidade por

Русский (Russian)
ответственность, обязанность

idioms:
diminished responsibility ограниченная ответственность
on one's own responsibility на свой страх и риск
responsibility to/towards ответственность перед

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 Español (Spanish)
n. - responsabilidad, seriedad, formalidad

idioms:
diminished responsibility responsabilidad atenuada
on one's own responsibility bajo su propia responsabilidad
responsibility to responsabilidad ante
responsibility towards responsabilidad ante

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ansvar

(Chinese (Simplified))
, ,

idioms:
diminished responsibility
on one's own responsibility ,
responsibility to ...
responsibility towards ...

(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - , ,

idioms:
diminished responsibility
on one's own responsibility ,
responsibility to ...
responsibility towards ...

(Korean)
n. - , ,

idioms:
responsibility to

(Japanese)
n. - , ,

idioms:
diminished responsibility
responsibility to/towards

(Arabic)
( )
‫( עברית‬Hebrew)
n. - ‫ תחום האחריות‬,‫אחריות‬

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright
© 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton
Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more 
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Computer Desktop Encyclopedia
THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.
© 1981-2014 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. Read more 
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Dictionary of Accounting Terms. Copyright © 2010 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
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Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage®
Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton
Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more 
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© 1999-present by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more 
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Oxford Dictionary of the US Military
The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Oxford
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Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Copyright © 1994, 1996, 2005 by Oxford University
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Law Dictionary. Copyright © 2003 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights
reserved. Read more 
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The Oxford Companion to the Mind. Second Edition. Copyright © Oxford University
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US Defense Department Military Dictionary
US Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Words, 2003. Read more
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Devil's Dictionary
Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, 1911 Read more 
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