I. -dənt noun
( -s )
Etymology: Latin respondent-, respondens, present participle of respondēre to answer, correspond — more at respond
: one that responds (as with a reply): as
a. : one that maintains a thesis in reply — distinguished from opponent
b.
(1) : one that answers in various legal proceedings that are usually not according to the course of the common law (as in equity, admiralty, ecclesiastical, or statutory cases)
(2) : the prevailing party in the lower court — distinguished from appellant
II. adjective
Etymology: Latin respondent-, respondens
1. obsolete : serving to correspond
2. : making response : answering , responsive ; especially : being a defendant or respondent at law
III. noun
: a reflex that occurs in response to a specific external stimulus
the knee jerk is a typical respondent
IV. adjective
: relating to or being behavior or responses to a stimulus that are followed by a reward
respondent conditioning
— compare operant 2 in the Dict