Answerable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l/

Definitions

1. Subject to being called upon to give an account or justification for one's actions or decisions
2. Bound by the duty to provide a response or explanation for actions taken or choices made
3. Obligated to account for one's behavior or decisions to others, particularly those in authority

Etymology: "Answerable" is a plain English formation: the noun-turned-verb "answer" with the suffix "-able," which turns a verb into an adjective meaning "able to be" or "fit to be" the thing the verb describes. So an answerable person is one who can be called upon to answer for their actions. The "answer" half descends from Old English "andswerian," a compound of "and-," meaning "against" or "in response," and "swerian," meaning "to swear" or "to make a solemn declaration." The sense of responding was originally tied to formal speech and oath-taking: to answer was to reply in the face of a challenge. That legal and accusatory flavour survives in the modern sense of being accountable. The suffix came into English through Old French "-able," itself from Latin "-abilis," which joined verbs to form adjectives of capability. Over centuries English attached it freely to native verbs, so "answerable" follows the same pattern as "washable" or "readable."

Synonyms: accountable, responsible

Antonyms: unaccountable, irresponsible