response definition

English response definition

Etymology

From Middle English respounse, respons, from Old French respons, respuns, responce, ultimately from the Latin respōnsum, a nominal use of the neuter form of respōnsus, the perfect passive participle of respondeō, from re (“again”) + spondeō (“promise”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈspɒns/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈspɑns/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒns

Noun

response (plural responses)

2. An answer or reply, or something in the nature of an answer or reply.
4. The act of responding or replying; reply: as, to speak in response to a question.
5. An oracular answer.
6. (liturgics) A verse, sentence, phrase, or word said or sung by the choir or congregation in sequence or reply to the priest or officiant.
7. (liturgics) A versicle or anthem said or sung during or after a lection; a respond or responsory.
8. A reply to an objection in formal disputation.
9. An online advertising performance metric representing one click-through from an online ad to its destination URL.
10. A reaction to a stimulus or provocation.
    • 2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:

      As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.

Synonyms

• reaction

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

• “response”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Latin response definition

Participle

respōnse

1. vocative masculine singular of respōnsus

Middle French response definition

Etymology

From Old French response.

Noun

response f (plural responses)

1. response

Descendants

• French: réponse

Old French response definition

Alternative forms

• responce
• respounce (Anglo-Norman)
• respounse (Anglo-Norman)
• respunse (Anglo-Norman)

Etymology

Variant of the masculine noun respons (also used as the past participle of respondre), itself a semi-learned word derived from Latin responsus.

Noun

response f (oblique plural responses, nominative singular response, nominative plural responses)

1. response

Descendants

• → English: response
• French: réponse

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (response, supplement)
• respuns on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub (the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub lists the feminine noun repunse under the masculine noun respuns)

Spanish response definition

Verb

response

1. inflection of responsar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative