response

The word “response” means an answer or reply given to a question, request, or message. In plain terms, an answer, or more broadly, any reaction to something that happened.

“Response” is pronounced rih-SPONS (/ɹɪˈspɑns/ in IPA).

Here is “response” used in a sentence: “I still haven't received a response to my complaint.”

Words with a similar meaning to “response” include reaction.

“Response” is a noun.

The word “response” comes from Latin. From Old French respons, ultimately from Latin responsum, "an answer," from respondere, "to respond.".

“Response” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Response” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an answer or reply given to a question, request, or message.

A reaction is immediate and instinctive, something you do automatically before thinking, like flinching or snapping back. A response is more considered, chosen after weighing the situation. In everyday use the words overlap, but this distinction matters in psychology and communication, where responding thoughtfully is contrasted with reacting on impulse.

A reply is a direct answer to a specific message or question, usually in words. A response is broader: it can be words, an action, or any reaction to something. Every reply is a response, but a response might also be a gesture, a decision, or a change in behaviour.

Responses take many forms depending on context. There are verbal responses like answers and replies, written responses such as emails, and physical or emotional responses like a smile or a change of mood. In science, a response is any reaction to a stimulus, from a reflex to a measured effect.

If someone asks a question and you answer it, your answer is a response. Other examples include replying to an email, applauding after a performance, or a company issuing a statement after an event. Any answer, reply, or reaction to a message, request, or situation counts as a response.