Responders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Persons or teams who provide replies to questions or stimuli
2. Individuals or groups that act following a notice or alarm, typically in urgent circumstances
3. People who reply to queries or calls for input ; those who offer help or intervention in urgent or crisis situations

Etymology: The word is a plain formation: "respond" with the agent suffix "-er", meaning one who responds. The verb "respond" came into English from Old French "respondre", itself from Latin "respondere", meaning "to answer" or "to promise in return", built from "re-" ("back") and "spondere" ("to pledge"). The suffix has a longer pedigree than the verb. It descends from Latin "-arius", which passed into Old French as "-ier" and entered English as the Middle English "-er", the same ending found in words like "baker" and "teacher". English has used it for people and things that carry out an action for centuries, so "responder" simply extends a very old pattern to a new job.

Synonyms: answerers, replying, reactors

Antonyms: nonresponders, ignores