Responsibilities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Duties or tasks entrusted to an individual or group, encompassing obligations related to jobs, roles, or personal commitments that must be fulfilled
2. A set of expectations or obligations imposed on a person, often involving various roles in work, family, or community settings that require careful management
3. The specific roles and obligations assigned to a person or group, which necessitate accountability and decision-making in various contexts such as professional or personal life

Etymology: "Responsibilities" is simply the plural of "responsibility," so it inherits the story of that noun. The noun was formed in English from "responsible," which came into the language from French, with the ending "-ity" added on. That suffix, also French in origin, turns an adjective into a noun for a quality or state, so "responsibility" names the condition of being responsible. The surprising twist is that French did not supply the compound itself. The English coinage came first, and French later borrowed it in the form "responsabilité," with Italian then taking its version from French. In other words, English formed a word from French parts and then sent it back to the continent, where it was copied in turn.

Synonyms: duties, obligations, tasks, accountabilities, commitments

Antonyms: irresponsibility, neglect