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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Answerable \An"swer*a*ble\, adjective
1. Obliged to answer; liable to be called to account; liable to pay, indemnify, or make good; accountable; amenable; responsible; as, an agent is answerable to his principal; to be answerable for a debt, or for damages.
Will any man argue that . . . he can not be justly punished, but is answerable only to God? --Swift.
2. Capable of being answered or refuted; admitting a satisfactory answer.
The argument, though subtle, is yet answerable. --Johnson.
3. Correspondent; conformable; hence, comparable.
What wit and policy of man is answerable to their discreet and orderly course? --Holland.
This revelation . . . was answerable to that of the apostle to the Thessalonians. --Milton.
4. Proportionate; commensurate; suitable; as, an achievement answerable to the preparation for it.
5. Equal; equivalent; adequate. [Archaic]
Had the valor of his soldiers been answerable, he had reached that year, as was thought, the utmost bounds of Britain. --Milton.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
answerable
adjective
1: possible to answer
2: morally or legally responsible to a higher authority; "parents are answerable for their child's acts"
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |