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irresponsible Definition

ir·re·spon·sible (ir′i spän′sə bəl)

adjective

not responsible; specif.,

  1. not liable to be called to account for actions
  2. lacking a sense of responsibility; unreliable, shiftless, etc.
  3. said or done as by an irresponsible person

noun

an irresponsible person

irresponsible Related Forms

ir′·re·spon′·sibil′·ity noun or ir′·re·spon′·sible·ness ir′·re·spon′·sibly adverb

irresponsible Synonyms

irresponsible

modif.

untrustworthy, unreliable, capricious, flighty, fickle, giddy, thoughtless, rash, reckless, undependable, unstable, loose, lax, immoral, shiftless, careless, negligent, unpredictable, wild, devil-may-care; see also careless 1, changeable 1, unreliable 1.

Antonyms responsible*, trustworthy*, dependable.

irresponsible Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • criminally: It's criminally irresponsible to allow monsters like Winston Churchill to appear in books.
  • grossly: It is grossly irresponsible of the Green lobby to play with people's livelihoods on the basis of a biased economic report.
  • socially: The " easing out " approach is socially irresponsible.
  • downright: And that's not only incredibly selfish, it's downright irresponsible.
  • utterly: To use false rumors to spread fears of a mass cull is utterly irresponsible.
  • environmentally: It would be environmentally irresponsible - and would not work.

Infinitive complement

  • ignore: In such circumstances of local and national emergency that it would be irresponsible to ignore the instructions from the Emergency Services.
  • take: On the other hand, wasn't it irresponsible to take matters into their own hands?
  • do: The Society cannot rely on fundraising to meet an unexpected deficit and it would be irresponsible to do so.
  • have: You see when you have black children it would be highly reckless and irresponsible to have them live in such a corrosive atmosphere.

Modifies a noun

  • lending: They want the OFT to do more to stop irresponsible lending.
  • behavior: The spike is thought to deter such owners from irresponsible behavior behind the wheel.
  • drinking: Sgt Darren Ryder said irresponsible drinking was putting them at risk.
  • journalism: If you believe it, then the bbc are guilty of irresponsible journalism.
  • driving: We rely on the public to provide information about irresponsible driving.
  • promotion: There will be no irresponsible drinks promotions or happy hour held.

Used with adjective complement

  • deem: In the context of livestock/arable farms next urban settlements, taking access to enclosed land should be deemed irresponsible.
  • seem: It would seem particularly irresponsible to do this, even tho it may be legal.
  • consider: It would also be considered irresponsible to train some one of less than 18 at a training school.

Preposition: in

extreme: The widespread testing of GM maize and other crops in field trials is premature and irresponsible in the extreme.