odgovoran

Odgovoran is an adjective in South Slavic languages (notably Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian) meaning "responsible", "accountable" or "liable". It describes a person, institution or thing that has duty, obligation, or is answerable for actions and outcomes.

The word is formed from the noun odgovоr ("answer" or "response") with an adjectival suffix, and is related to verbs such as odgovarati (to answer, to correspond). Grammatically, odgovoran is the masculine singular form; corresponding forms include odgovorna (feminine), odgovorno (neuter) and odgovorni/odgovorne (plural). It commonly appears with the preposition za to indicate the object of responsibility (e.g., odgovoran za projekt — responsible for a project).

In everyday usage it covers moral, practical and legal senses: a person can be considered reliable or duty-bound, an organization may be held legally liable, and policies can designate who is responsible for particular tasks. The derived noun odgovornost denotes "responsibility" and is used in discussions of ethics, management, law and civic duties. Cognates exist across Slavic languages and the concept parallels the English term "responsible". Examples and nuances of use vary by dialect and legal system.