adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˌɪɹ.ɪˈspɒn.sə.bəl/
US:/ˌɪɹ.əˈspɑn.sə.bəl/
Australian:/ˌɪɹ.ɪˈspɔn.sə.bəl/
Australian:[ˌɪɹ.ɪˈspɔn.sə.bl̩]
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 R AH0 S P AA1 N S AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not responsible; exempt from legal responsibility, not to be held accountable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Lacking a sense of responsibility; performed or acting as though without responsibility; negligent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Someone who is not responsible.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
showing lack of care for consequences
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
behaved like an irresponsible idiot
hasty and irresponsible action
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: responsible
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in- Latin ir- English ir- English responsible English irresponsible From ir- + responsible.
Across languages
Translations
67 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Central Bikol:
urag-uragon
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Bulgarian:
не но́сещ отгово́рност
(ne nósešt otgovórnost)
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Catalan:
irresponsable
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Chinese Mandarin:
不負責任的 /不负责任的
(bù fù zérèn de)
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Finnish:
viaton
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Finnish:
syytön
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Finnish:
ei vastuussa
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
French:
irresponsable
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
German:
nicht verantwortlich
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Greek:
ανεύθυνος
(anéfthynos)
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Hungarian:
felelősségre nem vonható
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Irish:
neamhfhreagrach
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Italian:
irresponsabile
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Portuguese:
irresponsável
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Russian:
не несу́щий отве́тственности
(ne nesúščij otvétstvennosti)
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Spanish:
irresponsable
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Swedish:
oansvarig
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Tagalog:
alibugha
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Turkish:
mesul/sorumlu olmayan
— not responsible; not subject to responsibility
Armenian:
անպատասխանատու
(anpatasxanatu)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Belarusian:
безадка́зны
(bjezadkázny)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Belarusian:
безадпавяда́льны
(bjezadpavjadálʹny)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Bulgarian:
безотгово́рен
(bezotgovóren)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Catalan:
irresponsable
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Chinese Mandarin:
不負責的 /不负责的
(bù fù zérèn de)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Chinese Mandarin:
不负责任的
(bù fù zérèn de)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Czech:
nezodpovědný
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Czech:
neodpovědný
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Danish:
uansvarlig
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Dutch:
onverantwoordelijk
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Finnish:
vastuuton
— lacking a sense of responsibility
French:
irresponsable
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Galician:
irresponsable
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Georgian:
უპასუხისმგებლო
(uṗasuxismgeblo)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
German:
verantwortungslos
— lacking a sense of responsibility
German:
unverantwortlich
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Greek:
ανεύθυνος
(anéfthynos)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Hungarian:
felelőtlen
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Hungarian:
meggondolatlan
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Italian:
irresponsabile
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Japanese:
無責任な
(musekinin na)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Korean:
무책임하다
(muchaegimhada)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Korean:
책임이 없는
(chaegimi eomneun)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Latvian:
bezatbildīgs
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Macedonian:
неодговорен
(neodgovoren)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Māori:
hurori
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Māori:
mākahi
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Marathi:
बेजबाबदार
(bej̈abābdār)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Norwegian Bokmål:
ansvarsløs
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Norwegian Bokmål:
uansvarlig
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Polish:
nieodpowiedzialny
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Polish:
lekkomyślny
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Portuguese:
irresponsável
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Romanian:
iresponsabil
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Russian:
безотве́тственный
(bezotvétstvennyj)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Serbo-Croatian:
не̏одгово̄ран
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Serbo-Croatian:
nȅodgovōran
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Slovak:
nezodpovedný
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Slovene:
neodgovoren
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Spanish:
irresponsable
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Swedish:
ansvarslös
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Swedish:
oansvarig
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Tagalog:
kaalibughaan
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Turkish:
mesuliyetsiz
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Turkish:
sorumsuz
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Ukrainian:
безвідповіда́льний
(bezvidpovidálʹnyj)
— lacking a sense of responsibility
Vietnamese:
vô trách nhiệm
— lacking a sense of responsibility