answerable

English

Alternative forms

• aunswerable (obsolete)

Etymology

From answer +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l/, /ˈɑːnsɹəb(ə)l/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæn.səɹ.ə.bl/

Adjective

answerable (comparative more answerable, superlative most answerable)

1. Required to justify one's actions (to somebody); accountable, responsible.
   • 1731, Jonathan Swift, “The Sentiments of a Church-of-England Man, with respect to Religion and Government” in Miscellanies, London: Benjamin Motte and Charles Bathurst, Volume I, Section 2, p. 91,^[1]

     Should any Man argue, that […] he cannot be justly punished, but is answerable only to God […]

2. (of a question) Able to be answered.
   • 2013, Marc Moeller, Victor Moeller, Middle School English Teacher's Guide to Active Learning, page 67:

     Is my question answerable on basis of the reading alone or does it go outside the information given in the story?

3. (archaic) Correspondent, in accordance; comparable (to).
   • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XI.] chapter 5 “Of Bees,”.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 312:

     What wit and policie of man is answerable to their discreet and orderly course?

   • 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 11:

     To this revelation he assented the sooner, as he confesses, because it was answerable to that of the Apostle to the Thessalonians, Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.

4. (archaic) Proportionate; commensurate in amount; suitable.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     […] at my farm / I have a hundred milch-kine to the pail, / Six score fat oxen standing in my stalls, / And all things answerable to this portion.

   • c. 1590 (date written), G[eorge] P[eele], The Old Wiues Tale. […], London: […] Iohn Danter, for Raph Hancocke, and Iohn Hardie, […], published 1595, →OCLC:

     By my other wife I had a daughter, so hard favoured, so foule and ill faced, that I thinke a grove full of golden trees; and the leaves of Rubies and Dyamonds, would not bee a dowrie aunswerable to her deformitie.

5. (rare) Of an argument: capable of being answered or refuted; admitting a satisfactory answer.
   • 1755 April 15, Samuel Johnson, “A′nswerable”, in A Dictionary of the English Language: […], volume I (A–K), London: […] J[ohn] and P[aul] Knapton;  […], →OCLC, column 1:

     [T]he argument, though ſubtle, is yet anſwerable.

Antonyms

• unanswerable

Derived terms

• answerability
• answerableness
• answerably
• nonanswerable

 

Translations

obliged to answer; liable to be called to account; liable to pay, indemnify, or make good

• Bashkir: яуаплы (yawaplı)
• Belarusian: адка́зны m (adkázny)
• Finnish: tilivelvollinen (fi), vastuullinen (fi)
• German: verantwortlich (de)
• Hungarian: felelős (hu)
• Portuguese: responsável (pt)
• Romanian: responsabil (ro) m
• Spanish: responsable (es)
• Ukrainian: відповіда́льний m (vidpovidálʹnyj)

capable of being answered or refuted; admitting a satisfactory answer

• Hungarian: megválaszolható, megoldható (hu)
• Portuguese: respondível
• Romanian: responsabil (ro) m
• Spanish: responsable (es)

correspondent; conformable; hence, comparable

• Romanian: corespunzător (ro) m

proportionate; commensurate; suitable