Definitions for Answer
ˈæn sər, ˈɑn-Answer

Princeton's WordNet(3.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. answer, reply, responsenoun

   a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

   "I waited several days for his answer"; "he wrote replies to several of his critics"

2. solution, answer, result, resolution, solventnoun

   a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem

   "they were trying to find a peaceful solution"; "the answers were in the back of the book"; "he computed the result to four decimal places"

3. answernoun

   the speech act of replying to a question

4. answernoun

   the principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims

5. answerverb

   a nonverbal reaction

   "his answer to any problem was to get drunk"; "their answer was to sue me"

6. answer, reply, respondverb

   react verbally

   "She didn't want to answer"; "answer the question"; "We answered that we would accept the invitation"

7. answerverb

   respond to a signal

   "answer the door"; "answer the telephone"

8. answerverb

   give the correct answer or solution to

   "answer a question"; "answer the riddle"

9. answer, resolveverb

   understand the meaning of

   "The question concerning the meaning of life cannot be answered"

10. answerverb

    give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an argument)

    "The defendant answered to all the charges of the prosecution"

11. answerverb

    be liable or accountable

    "She must answer for her actions"

12. suffice, do, answer, serveverb

    be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

    "A few words would answer"; "This car suits my purpose well"; "Will $100 do?"; "A 'B' grade doesn't suffice to get me into medical school"; "Nothing else will serve"

13. answerverb

    match or correspond

    "The drawing of the suspect answers to the description the victim gave"

14. answerverb

    be satisfactory for; meet the requirements of or serve the purpose of

    "This may answer her needs"

15. answerverb

    react to a stimulus or command

    "The steering of my new car answers to the slightest touch"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Answernoun

   Etymology: from To answer.

   1. That which is said, whether in speech or writing, in return to a question, or position.

   It was a right answer of the physician to his patient, that had sore eyes: If you have more pleasure in wine than in your sight, wine is good. John Locke.

   How can we think of appearing at that tribunal, without being able to give a ready answer to the questions which he shall then put to us, about the poor and the afflicted, the hungry and the naked, the sick and imprisoned? Francis Atterbury, Sermons.

   2. In law, a confutation of a charge exhibited against a person.

   A personal answer ought to have three qualities; it ought to be pertinent to the matter in hand; it ought to be absolute and unconditional; it ought to be clear and certain. John Ayliffe, Par.

2. To ANSWERverb

   Etymology: The etymology is uncertain; the Saxons had andswarian, but in another sense; the Dutch have antwoorden.

   1. To speak in return to a question.

   Are we succour’d? are the Moors remov’d?
   Answer these questions first, and then a thousand more,
   Answer them altogether. John Dryden, Spanish Friar.

   2. To speak in opposition.

   No man was able to answer him a word. Matt. xxii. 46.

   If it be said, we may discover the elementary ingredients of things, I answer, that it is not necessary that such a discovery should be practicable. Boyle.

   3. To be accountable for.

   Some men have sinned in the principles of humanity, and must answer for not being men. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

   If there be any absurdity in this, our author must answer for it. John Locke.

   4. To vindicate; to give a justificatory account of.

   The night, so impudently fixed for my last, made little impression on myself; but I cannot answer for my family. Jonathan Swift.

   5. To give an account.

   How they have been since received, and so well improved, let those answer either to God or man, who have been the authors and promoters of such wise council. William Temple.

   He wants a father to protect his youth,
   And rear him up to virtue. You must bear
   The future blame, and answer to the world,
   When you refuse the easy honest means
   Of taking care of him. Thomas Southerne, Innocent Adultery.

   6. To correspond to; to suit with.

   In water face answereth to face: so the heart of man to man. Prov. xxvii. 19.

   7. To be equivalent to; to stand for something else.

   A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. Eccl. x. 19.

   8. To satisfy any claim or petition.

   Revenge the jeering and disdain’d contempt
   Of this proud king, who studies day and night
   To answer all the debt he owes unto you,
   Ev’n with the bloody payments of your deaths. William Shakespeare, Hen. IV.

   Men no sooner find their appetites unanswered, than they complain the times are injurious. Walter Raleigh, Hist. of the World.

   9. To act reciprocally upon.

   Say, do’st thou yet the Roman harp command?
   Do the strings answer to thy noble hand? John Dryden, Persius.

   10. To stand as opposite or correlative to something else.

   There can but two things create love, perfection and usefulness; to which answer, on our part,
   1. Admiration; and,
   2. Desire: and both these are centered in love. Taylor.

   11. To bear proportion to.

   He desired, that proper officers might search me; for probably I might carry several weapons, which must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person. Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels.

   12. To perform what is endeavoured or intended by the agent.

   Our part is, to choose out the most deserving objects, and the most likely to answer the ends of our charity; and when that is done, all is done that lies in our power: the rest must be left to providence. Francis Atterbury, Sermons.

   13. To comply with.

   He dies that touches of this fruit,
   Till I and my affairs are answered. William Shakespeare, As you like it.

   14. To succeed; to produce the wished event.

   Jason followed her counsel, whereto, when the event had answered, he again demanded the fleece. Walter Raleigh, Hist. of the W.

   We see likewise, that much water draweth forth the juice of the body infused; but little water is imbibed by the body: and this is a principal cause, why, in operations upon bodies for their version or alteration, the trial in great quantities doth not answer the trial in small; and so deceiveth many. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 92.

   15. To appear to any call, or authoritative summons; in which sense, though figuratively, the following passage may be, perhaps, taken.

   Thou wert better in thy grave, than to answer, with thy uncovered body, this extremity of the skies. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   16. To be over-against any thing.

   Fire answers fire, and, by their paly beams,
   Each battles sees the other’s umber’d face. William Shakespeare, Henry V.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Answernoun

   to speak in defense against; to reply to in defense; as, to answer a charge; to answer an accusation

2. Answernoun

   to speak or write in return to, as in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration, argument, or the like; to reply to (a question, remark, etc.); to respond to

3. Answernoun

   to respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification, and the like; to refute

4. Answernoun

   to be or act in return or response to

5. Answernoun

   to be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, demand; as, he answered my claim upon him; the servant answered the bell

6. Answernoun

   to render account to or for

7. Answernoun

   to atone; to be punished for

8. Answernoun

   to be opposite to; to face

9. Answernoun

   to be or act an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay

10. Answernoun

    to be or act in accommodation, conformity, relation, or proportion to; to correspond to; to suit

11. Answerverb

    to speak or write by way of return (originally, to a charge), or in reply; to make response

12. Answerverb

    to make a satisfactory response or return

13. Answerverb

    to render account, or to be responsible; to be accountable; to make amends; as, the man must answer to his employer for the money intrusted to his care

14. Answerverb

    to be or act in return

15. Answerverb

    to be or act by way of compliance, fulfillment, reciprocation, or satisfaction; to serve the purpose; as, gypsum answers as a manure on some soils

16. Answerverb

    to be opposite, or to act in opposition

17. Answerverb

    to be or act as an equivalent, or as adequate or sufficient; as, a very few will answer

18. Answerverb

    to be or act in conformity, or by way of accommodation, correspondence, relation, or proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; -- usually with to

19. Answernoun

    a reply to a change; a defense

20. Answernoun

    something said or written in reply to a question, a call, an argument, an address, or the like; a reply

21. Answernoun

    something done in return for, or in consequence of, something else; a responsive action

22. Answernoun

    a solution, the result of a mathematical operation; as, the answer to a problem

23. Answernoun

    a counter-statement of facts in a course of pleadings; a confutation of what the other party has alleged; a responsive declaration by a witness in reply to a question. In Equity, it is the usual form of defense to the complainant's charges in his bill

24. Etymology: [OE. andswerien, AS. andswerian, andswarian, to answer, fr. andswaru, n., answer. See Answer, n.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Answer

   The Answer is the name of two fictional comic book characters, owned by Marvel Comics and appearing in that company's Marvel Universe. Aaron Nicholson first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #92. After his "death", S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, David Ferrari took the name of Answer in Captain America vol. 3 #42.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Answer

   an′sėr, v.t. to reply to: to satisfy or solve: to repay: to suit: to suffer the consequences of.—v.i. to reply: to reply favourably: to act in conformity with, as 'to answer the helm:' to be accountable for (with for): to correspond: to be advantageous to: to turn out well.—n. a reply: a solution.—adj. An′swerable, able to be answered: accountable: suitable: equivalent: proportional (with to).—adv. An′swerably.—n. An′swerer.—adv. An′swerless. [A.S. andswar-ian—andswaru; and-, against, swerian, to swear.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. answer

   An effective and efficient solution.

   The answer is simple, the solution is easy as we work together in unity to create the solutions we choose in order of priority.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 13, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. answer

   The answer symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the answer symbol and its characteristic.

Matched Categories

1. • Be
   • Law
   • Match
   • Pleading
   • React
   • Refute
   • Reply
   • Respond
   • Satisfy
   • Solve
   • State

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Answer' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1217

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Answer' in Written Corpus Frequency: #690

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Answer' in Nouns Frequency: #359

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Answer' in Verbs Frequency: #226

How to pronounce Answer?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Answer in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Answer in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Answer in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of Answer in a Sentence

1. Steve Olson:

   We're going to have fewer turkeys coming out because of this, the question we can't answer is how much this is going to impact our total system, because this isn't over yet.

2. Vitaly Stepanov:

   As of this morning we did not know if Yulia Stepanova would have a chance or not, we were prepared to hear a negative answer.

3. Matrix, The:

   Trinity The answer is out there, Neo, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to.

4. Steven Camarota:

   If you were to create this whole new category and give United States grounds to apply for asylum based on climate, you're likely to get an enormous number of people applying because it's so ill-defined, how much below-average rainfall does the rainfall have to be in your region before you're a climate refugee ? At present, the primary receiving countries already are experiencing tremendous resistance to the current level of asylees and refugees. It doesn't seem like resettling people in developed counties is going to be much of an answer to this problem. ... A much more effective use of resources is always to help United States in place.

5. Tulsi Gabbard:

   Is that what you will tell the parents of those two soldiers who were just killed in Afghanistan ? ' Well, we just have to be engaged.' As a soldier I will tell you that answer is unacceptable. We have to bring our troops home from Afghanistan. We are in a place in Afghanistan where we have lost so many lives, we are no better off in Afghanistan today than we were when this war began. This is why it's so important to have This President, a commander in chief who knows the cost of war and is ready to do the job on day one.

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