Respondent

Respondent is a term used in legal, administrative, and research contexts to denote the party who answers or defends against a petition, complaint, or inquiry. In many common law systems, the term identifies the party against whom a petition or appeal is filed.

In appellate courts, the petitioner or appellant seeks relief, and the respondent opposes the appeal by submitting a response brief and presenting arguments to uphold the lower court’s decision. In this setting, the respondent is responsible for addressing the issues raised on review and for preserving the record.

In civil and family law, the respondent is typically the party who did not initiate the case. For example, in a divorce proceeding, the respondent is the spouse who must answer the petition filed by the other spouse; in a civil suit, the respondent may be the defendant who must respond to the plaintiff’s allegations.

In administrative or regulatory contexts, the respondent provides responses to agency inquiries, petitions for review, or other formal proceedings. In research, the term refers to the person who provides data through surveys or interviews, with considerations for informed consent and privacy.

Etymology and usage: the term derives from Latin respondere, meaning to answer. It is often contrasted with petitioner or plaintiff; in some jurisdictions, “defendant” is used at trial, while “respondent” is used in appellate or formal response contexts.