respondent

[ ri-spon-duhnt ]

noun

1. a person who responds or makes reply.
2. Law. a defendant, especially in appellate and divorce proceedings.

adjective

1. giving a response; answering; responsive.
2. Law. being a respondent.
3. Psychology. of or relating to behavior that occurs consistently in response to a particular stimulus.
4. Obsolete. corresponding.

respondent

/ rɪˈspɒndənt /

noun

1. law a person against whom a petition, esp in a divorce suit, or appeal is brought

adjective

1. a less common word for responsive

Word History and Origins

Origin of respondent¹

1520–30; < Latin respondent- (stem of respondēns ), present participle of respondēre. See respond, -ent

Example Sentences

Over a third of respondents said they had purchased cough syrup during that time.

From BBC

But the ONS's Labour Force Survey, which produces the data on jobs in the UK, has had a smaller number of respondents over the past year than normal, prompting concerns over its reliability.

From BBC

Three-quarters of respondents feel negatively about the direction of the country.

From Salon

In Wales specifically, Dr Hill said many respondents said they had only been offered one session of counselling during their fertility journey.

From BBC

The poll of 808 likely voters also found that Harris has a startling lead among voters of 65, with 55% of respondents throwing in for the vice president to just 36% for Trump.

From Salon

Related Words

• defendant
• prisoner