respond - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle English respounden, from Old French respondre, from Late Latin respondō, from Latin respondeō. Cf. Modern French répondre.

respond (third-person singular simple present responds, present participle responding, simple past and past participle responded)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To say something in return; to answer; to reply.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:respond
    to respond to a question or an argument
  2. (intransitive) To act in return; to carry out an action or in return to a force or stimulus; to do something in response.
    • 2012 January, Robert M. Pringle, “How to Be Manipulative”, in American Scientist‎[1], volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 3 October 2013, page 31:
      As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds.
  3. (ambitransitive) To correspond with; to suit.
  4. (transitive) To satisfy; to answer.
    The prisoner was held to respond the judgment of the court.
  5. (intransitive) To be liable for payment.

to say something in return

to correspond

to say in reply, to respond — see return

respond (plural responds)

  1. A response.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:reply
  2. A versicle or short anthem chanted at intervals during the reading of a lection.
  3. (architecture) A half-pillar, pilaster, or any corresponding device engaged in a wall to receive the impost of an arch.