Respondere

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To answer or reply to a question, statement, or request; to act in return or react to a stimulus; to provide a solution or explanation following communication
2. To give an answer or reaction to an inquiry or situation; to reciprocate or react in kind; to engage in a communicative exchange by offering feedback or information
3. To convey an answer or feedback to a proposition or stimulus; to act in correspondence with an action or request; to participate in a process of exchange by offering a reply or response

Etymology: Its Latin source, "respondere", combines "re-", meaning back or in return, with "spondere", to promise solemnly. In Roman law and religion, answering could itself be a binding act, a counter-pledge given in return for another party's vow. The same root lies behind "sponsor", "spouse" and "espouse", all tied to formal promises. The everyday sense of answering a question grew out of that idea of replying in kind. The verb passed into English through Old French "respondre". Latin "responsum" gave English "response", and "responsible" comes from the same Old French source, so a reply and a responsibility share an ancestor in the old notion of pledging something back.

Synonyms: respond

Antonyms: ignore, neglect