Meanings
adjectiveirresponsible (comparative more irresponsible, superlative most irresponsible)
comparative more irresponsible · superlative most irresponsible
- archaicNot responsible; exempt from legal responsibility, not to be held accountable.
They left the crown what, in the eye and estimation of law, it had ever been, perfectly irresponsible.
1790, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, Oxford, published 2009, page 28 - Lacking a sense of responsibility; performed or acting as though without responsibility; negligent.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveshowing lack of care for consequences
Opposite
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Italic*n̥-
- Latinin-
- Latinir-
- Englishir-
- Englishresponsible
- Englishirresponsible
From ir- + responsible.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian не но́сещ отгово́рност, безотгово́рен
- не но́сещ отгово́рност (ne nósešt otgovórnost)not responsible; not subject to responsibility
- безотгово́рен (bezotgovóren)lacking a sense of responsibility
Catalan irresponsable, irresponsable
- irresponsablenot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- irresponsablelacking a sense of responsibility
Chinese Mandarin 不負責任的 /不负责任的, 不負責的 /不负责的
- 不負責任的 /不负责任的 (bù fù zérèn de)not responsible; not subject to responsibility
- 不負責的 /不负责的 (bù fù zérèn de)lacking a sense of responsibility
- 不负责任的 (bù fù zérèn de)lacking a sense of responsibility
Czech nezodpovědný, neodpovědný
- nezodpovědnýlacking a sense of responsibility
- neodpovědnýlacking a sense of responsibility
Danish uansvarlig
- uansvarliglacking a sense of responsibility
Dutch onverantwoordelijk
- onverantwoordelijklacking a sense of responsibility
Finnish viaton, syytön
- viatonnot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- syytönnot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- ei vastuussanot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- vastuutonlacking a sense of responsibility
French irresponsable, irresponsable
- irresponsablenot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- irresponsablelacking a sense of responsibility
German nicht verantwortlich, verantwortungslos
- nicht verantwortlichnot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- verantwortungsloslacking a sense of responsibility
- unverantwortlichlacking a sense of responsibility
Greek ανεύθυνος, ανεύθυνος
- ανεύθυνος (anéfthynos)not responsible; not subject to responsibility
- ανεύθυνος (anéfthynos)lacking a sense of responsibility
Hungarian felelősségre nem vonható, felelőtlen
- felelősségre nem vonhatónot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- felelőtlenlacking a sense of responsibility
- meggondolatlanlacking a sense of responsibility
Irish neamhfhreagrach
- neamhfhreagrachnot responsible; not subject to responsibility
Italian irresponsabile, irresponsabile
- irresponsabilenot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- irresponsabilelacking a sense of responsibility
Japanese 無責任な
- 無責任な (musekinin na)lacking a sense of responsibility
Korean 무책임하다, 책임이 없는
- 무책임하다 (muchaegimhada)lacking a sense of responsibility
- 책임이 없는 (chaegimi eomneun)lacking a sense of responsibility
Latvian bezatbildīgs
- bezatbildīgslacking a sense of responsibility
Māori hurori, mākahi
- hurorilacking a sense of responsibility
- mākahilacking a sense of responsibility
Norwegian Bokmål ansvarsløs, uansvarlig
- ansvarsløslacking a sense of responsibility
- uansvarliglacking a sense of responsibility
Polish nieodpowiedzialny, lekkomyślny
- nieodpowiedzialnylacking a sense of responsibility
- lekkomyślnylacking a sense of responsibility
Portuguese irresponsável, irresponsável
- irresponsávelnot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- irresponsávellacking a sense of responsibility
Romanian iresponsabil
- iresponsabillacking a sense of responsibility
Russian не несу́щий отве́тственности, безотве́тственный
- не несу́щий отве́тственности (ne nesúščij otvétstvennosti)not responsible; not subject to responsibility
- безотве́тственный (bezotvétstvennyj)lacking a sense of responsibility
Slovak nezodpovedný
- nezodpovednýlacking a sense of responsibility
Spanish irresponsable, irresponsable
- irresponsablenot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- irresponsablelacking a sense of responsibility
Swedish oansvarig, ansvarslös
- oansvarignot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- ansvarslöslacking a sense of responsibility
- oansvariglacking a sense of responsibility
Tagalog alibugha, kaalibughaan
- alibughanot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- kaalibughaanlacking a sense of responsibility
Turkish mesul/sorumlu olmayan, mesuliyetsiz
- mesul/sorumlu olmayannot responsible; not subject to responsibility
- mesuliyetsizlacking a sense of responsibility
- sorumsuzlacking a sense of responsibility
Ukrainian безвідповіда́льний
- безвідповіда́льний (bezvidpovidálʹnyj)lacking a sense of responsibility
Vietnamese vô trách nhiệm
- vô trách nhiệmlacking a sense of responsibility
Cite this entry
APA
irresponsible. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irresponsible
MLA
“irresponsible.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irresponsible. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “irresponsible,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irresponsible.
Source: irresponsible on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.