respondent
respondent — noun
1. a person who gives answers to questions in a survey, poll, or other official stu
a person who gives answers to questions in a survey, poll, or other official study carried out by researchers or organisations.
Liang was one of over two thousand respondents in the national health survey.
collocation: survey respondent
The research team called each respondent the next day to verify their answers.
All respondents were asked about their daily travel habits and preferred routes.
Respondents who completed the full questionnaire received a gift card by mail.
- participant
broader term; a participant takes part in any activity, not necessarily by answering questions
- interviewee
used for one-on-one or small-group questioning rather than large-scale surveys
- subject
neutral term in research contexts, but can sound less voluntary than 'respondent'
- interviewer
the person who asks the questions
- researcher
the person who designs and conducts the study
用法筆記
Frequently used with a modifier specifying the type of study: 'survey respondent', 'poll respondent', 'questionnaire respondent'. The preposition 'to' can introduce the topic: 'respondents to the survey'.
常見錯誤
2. in legal proceedings, the side that answers a formal complaint or request brough
in legal proceedings, the side that answers a formal complaint or request brought to a court, most often in a divorce, custody, or appeal case.
The respondent denied every claim made in the divorce petition.
legal register: respondent + denied claims
Gita's lawyer filed a detailed response on behalf of the respondent in the custody hearing.
The court ordered the respondent to pay half of the legal costs.
A respondent in family court has the right to present evidence to the judge.
- petitioner
the person who starts the case by filing a petition
- appellant
the person who appeals a court decision to a higher court
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (SURVEY PARTICIPANT): in legal contexts, the respondent is a specific party to a case, not someone voluntarily answering questions. Contrasts with 'petitioner' (the person who starts the case). In appellate courts, 'respondent' is the party who won at the earlier trial; the losing party is the 'appellant'.
常見錯誤
respondent — adjective
1. giving a reply or showing a willingness to respond; answering in a way that show
giving a reply or showing a willingness to respond; answering in a way that shows attentiveness.
The nurse's responsive manner put the elderly patient at ease right away.
modern alternative: 'responsive' instead of 'respondent'
Ping's eyes became more responsive to light after the cataract surgery.
responsive to [stimulus]
Researchers measured the respondent behaviour of the test group during the experiment.
The psychology class learned how respondent conditioning differs from operant conditioning.
- responsive
the much more common modern equivalent; use 'responsive' in everyday speech
- answering
more direct and less formal
- reactive
implies responding to something that happens, rather than proactively engaging
- unresponsive
failing or refusing to reply or react
- silent
not speaking or giving any reply
用法筆記
This adjective sense is uncommon in modern everyday English. It appears mainly in formal writing, psychology research ('respondent behaviour'), and technical descriptions. The much more common alternative is 'responsive'. When used with a preposition, it typically takes 'to': 'respondent to something'.