English Dictionary
Definition of “answer”
answer (ˈɑːnsə
)
Definitions
noun
- a reply, either spoken or written, as to a question, request, letter, or article
- a reaction or response in the form of an action ⇒
drunkenness was his answer to disappointment
- a solution, esp of a mathematical problem
- law
- a party's written reply to his opponent's interrogatories
- (in divorce law) the respondent's written reply to the petition
- a musical phrase that follows the subject of a fugue, reproducing it a fifth higher or a fourth lower
verb
- (when tr, may take a clause as object) to reply or respond (to) by word or act ⇒
to answer a question
he answered
to answer the door
he answered that he would come
- (tr) to reply correctly to; solve or attempt to solve ⇒
I could answer only three questions
- (intr) usually foll by to to respond or react (to a stimulus, command, etc) ⇒
the steering answers to the slightest touch
- (tr) to pay off (a debt, obligation, etc); discharge
- (when intr, often foll by ) for to meet the requirements (of); be satisfactory (for); serve the purpose (of) ⇒
this will answer his needs
this will answer for a chisel
- (when intr, often foll by ) to to match or correspond (esp in the phrase answer (or answer to) the description)
- (tr) to give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an argument)
Word Origin
Old English andswaru an answer; related to Old Frisian ondser, Old Norse andsvar; see swear
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
reply,
explain,
respond,
resolve,
acknowledge,
react,
return,
retort,
rejoin,
refute,
=
acknowledge,
respond to react to reply to write back to=
pick up,
get,
respond to=
satisfy,
meet,
serve,
fit,
fill,
suit,
solve,
fulfil,
suffice,
measure up to,
=
fit,
meet,
match,
agree to,
conform to correspond to correlate to=
reply,
response,
reaction,
resolution,
explanation,
plea,
comeback,
retort,
report,
return,
defence,
acknowledgement,
riposte,
counterattack,
refutation,
rejoinder,
Translations
- British English:
answer
An answer is something that you say or write when you answer someone.I wrote to him but I never had an answer back.ˈɑːnsə NOUN I wrote to him but I never had an answer back.
- Spanish:
respuesta
nf
- French:
réponse
nf
- German:
Antwort
nf
- Chinese: 答案 n
- Arabic: إجَابَة n
- Portuguese: resposta nf
- Russian: ответ nm
- Croatian: odgovor
- Czech: odpověď nf
- Danish: svar nnt
- Dutch: antwoord nnt
- Finnish: vastaus n
- Greek: απάντηση nf
- Italian: risposta nf
- Japanese: 答え n
- Korean: 대답 n
- Norwegian: svar nnt
- Polish: odpowiedź nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: resposta nf
- European Spanish:
respuesta
nf
- Swedish: svar nnt
- Thai: คำตอบ n
- Turkish: yanıt n
- Vietnamese: câu trả lời n
- British English:
answer
When you answer someone who has asked you something, you say something back to them.Just answer the question. He paused before answering.ˈɑːnsə VERB Just answer the question. He paused before answering.
- Spanish:
contestar
v
- French:
répondre
vi
- German:
antworten
v
- Chinese: 回答 v
- Arabic: يُجيب v
- Portuguese: responder v
- Russian: отвечать v
- Croatian: odgovoriti v
- Czech: odpovědět v odpovídat
- Danish: svare v
- Dutch: antwoorden v
- Finnish: vastata v
- Greek: απαντώ v
- Italian: rispondere v
- Japanese: 答える v
- Korean: 대답하다 v
- Norwegian: svare v
- Polish: odpowiedzieć v odpowiadać
- Brazilian Portuguese: responder v
- European Spanish:
contestar
v
- Swedish: svara v
- Thai: ตอบ v
- Turkish: yanıt vermek v
- Vietnamese: trả lời v
Usage examples
"They're still at school in Ancelstierre," Sabriel said, obviously in answer to a question asked by Sanar.
Garth Nix, LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)The panel said they were glad he had brought the issue up, but had no answer for him there and then.
Country Life (2005)He doesn't ask the question, though, and he doesn't care about the answer.
Irish Times (2002)M Kelly, East Lothian The answer seems to be'live with it '.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Later still heroin (derived from morphine) came into use as the non-addictive answer to morphine addiction.
Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)
