No Matter How You Say It: Responsibility
In Other Languages
Spanish – responsibilidad
French – responsabilité
German – Verantwortung
Italian – responsabilità
Swedish – ansvar
Basque – erantzukizuna
Portugese – responsabilidade
For other character qualities related to Responsibility,
visit the Related Qualities page.
Word Origin
The word responsible comes from two Latin roots, responsum, which means “an answer, a reply” and spondere, which means “to promise”. Can you see how responsibility is a promised response?
Sign Language
Check out the following links from www.handspeak.com for the American Sign Language interpretation of the words:
Can you see how responsibility is shouldering a burden and irresponsibility is throwing it aside?
Responsibility Idioms
- Be a beacon of hope
- Be a champion of something
- Be a difference maker
- Be a leader
- Be a pillar of the community
- Be a role model
- Be a trailblazer
- Be a voice for the voiceless
- Be answerable to someone
- Be between a rock and a hard place
- Be in a pickle
- Be in charge of
- Be in over your head
- Be on the hook
- Be running the show
- Be the captain of your own ship
- Be up to your neck in something
- Carry the weight of the world on your shoulders
- Face the music
- Fulfill your obligations
- Handle something
- Have a duty to
- Have a lot on your plate
- Have a lot to answer for
- Have your hands full
- Hold someone accountable
- Make the call
- On somebody’s shoulder
- Pass the buck
- Shoulder the burden
- Take responsibility
- The buck stops here
- The finger of responsibility