DictionaryAI

response

noun
Sayri-SPONS/ɹɪˈspɑns/UK/ɹɪˈspɒns/

Pluralresponses

4 meanings of response

Practice

  1. 1
    replynouncountable or uncountable
    An answer or reply, or something said or done as a reaction to something, as in 'in response to'.

    The minister's written response addressed every concern raised.

    His one-word response told us everything we needed to know.

    UsageA response to something, and the set phrase in response to: in response to complaints; you get or receive a response.

  2. 2
    automatic reactionnouncountable
    A reaction produced by a stimulus or provocation.

    The drug triggered an immune response within hours.

    Pulling your hand from a hot stove is an automatic response.

    UsageOften a response to something, and in set pairs like immune response or stress response.

    Similarreaction, reflex

  3. 3
    churchnouncountable
    In a church service, words said or sung by the congregation or choir in answer to the priest or after a reading from scripture.

    The choir sang the response as the priest finished the prayer.

    Worshippers recited the familiar response in unison.

    Note

    Worship can be built as call and answer. The priest or officiant speaks, and the choir or congregation replies with a fixed verse, phrase or single word; a versicle or anthem sung after a reading counts as a response too, also called a respond or responsory. Because these words are shared and known in advance, worshippers can say them in unison.

    Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • Worship can involve an officiant's call followed by a choir's or congregation's response. en.wiktionary.org
    • A versicle or anthem sung after a reading can be called a response, respond or responsory. en.wiktionary.org
    • Prescribed responses provide shared words for worshippers to say together. churchofengland.org

Less common meaning

  1. 4
    noun
    A web advertising metric counting one click-through from an online ad to its destination page.

Practice

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Origin

The word comes through Middle English respounse and Old French respons from Latin respōnsum, a noun use of the participle of respondeō, formed from re- ("again") plus spondeō ("promise"). It is a doublet of responsum.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 4 facts