responsive
adjective
Did you know?
Responsive comes from the joining of Latin responsus with the suffix -ivus, which gave English -ive. That suffix changes verbs into adjectives, as in suggestive or corrosive. Responsus is a form of respondēre, which means "to answer" and is the source of English's respond. Responsive enters the language with the meaning "giving response" or "answering." Examples are "a responsive letter" or "a responsive glance." Nowadays, it variously describes people or things that immediately respond or react to something, such as "a responsive audience" or "a car with responsive steering."
Examples of responsive in a Sentence
Taylor Grothe, Parents, 26 Feb. 2025
The pope was alert and responsive on Sunday and attended Mass.
Francis' condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease, doctors said.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
The device represents the most personalized and responsive deep brain stimulator for the condition.
—Alice Park, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
Schools and workplaces are more collaborative and responsive when people with disabilities are included at all levels of the organization.
—Lauren Shallish, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for responsive
Cite this Entry
“Responsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/responsive. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
responsive
adjective
Medical Definition
responsive
adjective
Share