response
Americannoun
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an answer or reply, as in words or in some action.
- Synonyms:
- rejoinder
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Biology. any behavior of a living organism that results from an external or internal stimulus.
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Ecclesiastical.
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a verse, sentence, phrase, or word said or sung by the choir or congregation in reply to the officiant.
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Bridge. a bid based on an evaluation of one's hand relative to the previous bid of one's partner.
noun
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the act of responding; reply or reaction
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bridge a bid replying to a partner's bid or double
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(usually plural) Christianity a short sentence or phrase recited or sung by the choir or congregation in reply to the officiant at a church service
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electronics the ratio of the output to the input level, at a particular frequency, of a transmission line or electrical device
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any pattern of glandular, muscular, or electrical reactions that arises from stimulation of the nervous system
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A reaction, as that of an organism or any of its parts, to a specific stimulus.
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See more at classical conditioning
Synonym Usage
See answer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of response
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin respōnsum, noun use of neuter past participle of respondēre “to reply, answer”; replacing Middle English respounse, from Middle French respons, from Latin, as above; see respond
Explanation
A response is a reaction to a question, experience, or some other type of stimulus. If you cry at sad movies, you're having an emotional response to the drama that's taking place on the screen. A response can come in many forms, including an answer to a question, an emotional reaction, or a reply. If a teacher asks, "Who invented the phonograph?" She hopes her students will give her the response, "Why, Thomas Edison, of course!" When a parent tells a child not to cross the street when the light is red, he hopes the response will be compliance.
Vocabulary lists containing response
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Their response was to make the match as physical as possible and hope for the best.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
But after seeing his knee’s response to playing catch, the team decided to give him more time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
In an interview with the Guardian ahead of the release of “The Odyssey,” Nolan said he was “petrified” by the idea of a negative response from audiences.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
It has been two years since Ysa’s death, and Ferrante continues to get condolence messages in response to her request.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
It was the proper response, mind you, quite customary to the particular warrior clan to which Major Puff belonged.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Mitochondria are best known as the structures that generate energy inside cells, but scientists increasingly recognize that they also release chemical signals that affect metabolism, inflammation, stress responses, and aging.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Liao said additional studies are necessary to identify the molecular processes that drive the responses of complex biofilms containing multiple microbial species.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
When AFP tried Kimi K3, it generated ideas for tech reporting that compared favourably with responses from other chatbots.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
They target companionship chatbots, but could theoretically affect general-use AI bots if they are prompted to give emotional responses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Is the interviewer always careful or even honest in recording the responses?
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.