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Responsible vs Respective - What's the difference?

responsible | respective |

As adjectives the difference between responsible and respective

is that responsible is answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically while respective is relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own.

responsible

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-03
  • , author=William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter , title=The British Longitude Act Reconsidered , volume=100, issue=2, page=87 , magazine= citation , passage=But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.}}
    Parents are responsible for their child's behaviour.
  • Capable of responding to any reasonable claim; able to answer reasonably for one's conduct and obligations; capable of rational conduct.
  • Involving responsibility; involving a degree of personal accountability on the part of the person concerned.
  • She has a responsible position in the firm.
  • Being a primary cause or agent of some event or action; capable of being credited for something, or of being held liable for something.
  • Who is responsible for this mess?
  • Able to be trusted; reliable; trustworthy.
  • He looks like a responsible guy.

    Antonyms

    * irresponsible

    References

    * *

    respective

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own.
  • They returned to their respective places of abode.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=August 23 , author=Alasdair Lamont , title=Hearts 0-1 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Adam and Novikovas swapped long-range efforts, neither of which troubled the respective keepers.}}
  • (obsolete) Noticing with attention; careful; wary.
  • * Archbishop Sandys
  • If you look upon the church of England with a respective eye, you can not refuse this charge.
  • (obsolete) Looking toward; having reference to; relative, not absolute.
  • the respective connections of society
  • (obsolete) Fitted to awaken respect.
  • * 1599 , , IV. iv. 192:
  • What should it be that he respects in her / But I can make respective in myself,
  • (obsolete) Rendering respect; respectful; regardful.
  • * Chapman
  • With respective shame, rose, took us by the hands.
  • * Lord Burleigh
  • With thy equals familiar, yet respective .

    Synonyms

    * (relating to particular persons or things) corresponding, relevant, specific

    Derived terms

    * respectiveness * irrespective