I. ri-ˈspän-dənt noun
Etymology: Latin respondent-, respondens, present participle of respondēre
Date: 1528
1. : one who responds: as
a. : one who maintains a thesis in reply
b.
(1) : one who answers in various legal proceedings (as in equity cases)
(2) : the prevailing party in the lower court
c. : a person who responds to a poll
2. : a reflex that occurs in response to a specific external stimulus — compare operant
II. adjective
Date: 1726
1. : making response : responsive ; especially : being a respondent at law
2. : relating to or being behavior or responses to a stimulus that are followed by a reward
respondent conditioning
— compare operant 3