Definition of answerablenext
1
as in responsible
being the one who must meet an obligation or suffer the consequences for failing to do so you are answerable for your own conduct at all times

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective answerable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of answerable are accountable, amenable, liable, and responsible. While all these words mean "subject to being held to account," answerable suggests a relation between one having a moral or legal obligation and a court or other authority charged with oversight of its observance.

an intelligence agency answerable to Congress

Where would accountable be a reasonable alternative to answerable?

The synonyms accountable and answerable are sometimes interchangeable, but accountable suggests imminence of retribution for unfulfilled trust or violated obligation.

elected officials are accountable to the voters

How do amenable and liable relate to one another, in the sense of answerable?

Both amenable and liable stress the fact of subjection to review, censure, or control by a designated authority under certain conditions.

laws are amenable to judicial review
not liable for the debts of the former spouse

When can responsible be used instead of answerable?

The meanings of responsible and answerable largely overlap; however, responsible implies holding a specific office, duty, or trust.

the bureau responsible for revenue collection

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of answerable Liberal democracy requires that state power be limited, accountable, and answerable to law; that due process be sacrosanct; that enforcement remain proportional and transparent; and that when things go wrong, authorities are subject to credible review. Emily Chamlee-Wright, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026 Some thinkers doubt that the question is even answerable, while others think the theory is impossible – like a 2025 paper arguing that no purely algorithmic system can explain the universe. Rizwan Virk, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2025 Also, sources familiar with Madrid’s internal discussions say that the current hierarchy wants to ensure that decisions such as hiring or firing the coach and player transfers would always be made by the board, which is ultimately answerable to the socios. Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Public power companies, mostly municipally owned, are answerable to a city council or other board which makes decision-making more difficult, more political and slower. Llewellyn King, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for answerable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for answerable
Adjective
  • In 2024, disagreements between National Grid, a responsible party, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation halted the planning for additional environmental cleanup, freezing the project.
    Michelle de la Uz, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
  • At this point, this is a legal matter, and the most responsible path forward is accountability through the appropriate process with a focus on donor remedies including the return of funds to impacted donors.
    Andrea Lucia, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • But one of the challenges here is that some of these crises are not immediately resolvable.
    NBC news, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The Coordinated Set Identification Service (CSIS) allows two earbuds—or two hearing aids—to be discovered and managed as a coordinated set rather than independently, with resolvable identifiers and set‑level locks.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Employers who violate the WARN Act may be liable for back pay and benefits for the period of violation, up to 60 days.
    Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
  • Both have vigorously argued they should not be held liable for the full amount and claimed the tragedy was beyond their control.
    Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • So if these things were done together, the process could become more economically feasible.
    Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
  • To make 30-minute delivery feasible, Amazon uses smaller fulfillment centers strategically located close to where customers live.
    Paulina Likos, CNBC, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • But to deny Jackson’s complexity only flattens his genius—as well as his kindness and fragility—into something manageable, explainable.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 21 Apr. 2026
  • At first, the pain felt explainable.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Specifically, oats contain a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which is responsible for their cholesterol-lowering effects.
    Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
  • The soluble fiber in chia seeds forms a gel that can aid hydration and support stable blood sugar levels.
    Caitlin Beale, Health, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • Throughout its 17 years, bitcoin has been defined by cycles—booms and busts that are sometimes explicable and sometimes not.
    Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Strange and not entirely explicable things are nowadays happening in the world of wind.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Wrongful dismissal, severance negotiation, harassment claims, and contract disputes become solvable frameworks, not emotional standoffs.
    Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026
  • Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash.
    Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Answerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/answerable. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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