Meaning of answer in English

answer

noun [ C ]

/ˈɑːn.sər/ us

/ˈæn.sɚ/

answer noun [C] (REACTION)

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a reaction to a question, letter, phone call, etc.:

in answer to In answer to your letter of 30 May, I am writing to accept your offer of £3,575 in compensation.

The minister promised to give a written answer to the MP's detailed question.

We've emailed him asking him if he's free on that date but we haven't had an answer yet.

I've just called him but there was no answer.

I didn't realize we had to write each answer on a new sheet of paper.

I got eight correct answers and two wrong ones in last week's exam.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

an answer

answerWe're still waiting for an answer.
reply "How far?" asked Nigel. "Not far," was the mumbled reply.
answer105 is the correct answer.
responseThank you for your swift response.
reactionWhat was her reaction when she was asked for her resignation?
retortAlan snapped back with a witty retort.

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More examplesFewer examples

We need a definite answer by tomorrow.
Can you figure out the answer to question 5?
I'd like you to give me an honest answer.
I'll think it over and give you an answer next week.
The public has a right to expect truthful answers from politicians.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Answering & responding

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answer noun [C] (SOLUTION)

a solution to a problem:

It's a difficult situation and I don't know what the answer is.

There's no easy answer to the problem.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

an answer

answerWe're still waiting for an answer.
reply "How far?" asked Nigel. "Not far," was the mumbled reply.
answer105 is the correct answer.
responseThank you for your swift response.
reactionWhat was her reaction when she was asked for her resignation?
retortAlan snapped back with a witty retort.

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More examplesFewer examples

I spent hours doing that calculation and I still got the answer wrong.
Surely the answer's obvious - or are you being deliberately obtuse?
You got 20 percent of the answers right - that means one in every five.
You'll never guess the answer - do you give in?
His nimble mind calculated the answer before I could key the numbers into my computer.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Solving and solutions

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Idiom

someone's answer to someone/something

answer

verb

/ˈɑːn.sər/ us

/ˈæn.sɚ/

answer verb (REACT)

A1 [ I or T ]

to say, write, or do something as a reaction to a question, letter, etc.:

answer a question You still haven't answered my question: why do you need to borrow my car?

I can't answer (you) without more detailed information.

I texted asking whether he'd be coming to the party but he hasn't answered yet.

[ + speech ] "I'd love to have dinner with you, but I won't be able to get there before nine o'clock," she answered.

[ + that ] She answered that she wouldn't be able to come before nine o'clock.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to answer someone

answer"Thank you", she answered.
replyThe man replied that something was missing.
respondWe aim to respond to all enquiries within five working days.
reactHe reacted positively to the proposal.
get back toI'll look into it and get back to you.
explain"What happened?" she asked. - "There's no time to explain!" he said.

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answer to the name (of)

formal

to be called:

Does anyone here answer to the name of Wallis?

A2 [ I or T ]

to open the door to someone or pick up the phone:

Someone's at the door - would you answer it, please?

I phoned last night but nobody answered.

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I went downstairs to answer the phone.
Candidates must answer two questions from each paper.
Students are advised to answer all questions as fully as possible.
When no one answered the door, she peered through the window to see if anyone was there.
She spent the morning reading and answering her mail.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Answering & responding

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answer verb (BE RIGHT FOR)

[ T ]

to be suitable for and satisfy someone's needs:

He showed me some software that answered my requirements exactly.

I've got some furniture in the attic that I think might answer your needs.

answer a description (also answer to a description)

to match a description; to be the same as or similar to a person or thing that has been described:

We had an anonymous tip-off about a man answering your description.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Being suitable or unsuitable

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Phrasal verbs

answer (someone) back
answer back
answer for something
answer for someone/something
answer to someone

(Definition of answer from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

answer | American Dictionary

answer

noun [ C ]

/ˈæn·sər/

answer noun [C] (REACTION)

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something said or written in reaction to a question or statement:

If you are asking me if I want to go into business with you, the answer is no.

I called several times, but there was no answer.

An answer is also a reaction to a question asked as part of a test:

I think I got most of the answers right on the exam.

answer noun [C] (SOLUTION)

a solution to a problem:

There is no easy answer to the problem.

(Definition of answer from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of answer

answer

On the other hand, our upper bound results show that only 65-79% of questions will be answered correctly even in the best possible circumstances.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The next section situates the specific track task in the context of other question answering work.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

First, the sources relevant for answering the query must be identified.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

He knows the melody and the words and answers with the next verse.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Section 5 of this chapter contains a list of questions to be answered in subsequent chapters.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In other words, how do they accomplish or do "answering"?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, considered holistically, this entire turn can be seen as occupied with the task of answering the question.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Two flow-charts of strategies used to achieve the cor rect answers were then designed.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Most of these are couched in the form of questions rather than answers.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The first partial answers only concern and date back as recently as 1995, and all the other partial results obtained so far are essentially negative.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In this section, the statistical results will be described in search of answers to the research questions set out for this study.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

To seek answers to these questions, she conducted an extended and detailed study of communication in a major public hospital.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The volume thus raises many more questions than it answers.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Students answered specific questions about their strategy use in a follow-up interview after each reading session.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The answers to these questions helped to devise motivating activities that engaged learners in acquiring the target skills.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with answer

answer

These are words often used in combination with answer.

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answer sheet

The child's task was to circle the number on an answer sheet that represented the odd word.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

clear-cut answer

Although a clear-cut answer is impossible, a hypothesis can be advanced.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

coherent answer

Unpacking the logic of conservatism and exposing the presumptions on which it is based seem to be required if we are to provide a coherent answer to the question.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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