answer

A1 Topic:Communication

US /ˈæn.sɚ/ UK /ˈɑːn.sə/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like anther /θ/ vs /s/

Freq #508

Meanings

1

noun
Something you say or write in reply to a question, letter, or request.

I waited several days for an answer to my email.
2

verb
To say or write something in reply to a question or request.

She answered all the questions on the test correctly.
3

noun
A solution to a problem.

Studying harder is the answer to your low grades.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something you say or write... response reply

2 verb · to say or write something... reply respond

3 noun · a solution to a problem. solution

Word family

Forms answeredansweringanswersunanswered

Derived forms answerability answerableanswereranswerlessanswerphoneautoanswercounteranswerforeanswermisanswermultianswernon-answernonanswer

Appears in

Phrases (12)

See all

answer a question
to provide a response to a question

Verb + noun
answer the phone
to pick up a ringing phone and speak to the caller

Verb + noun
find the answer
to discover or work out the solution to a question or problem

Verb + noun
give an answer
to respond to a question or request for information

Verb + noun
know the answer
to already have the correct response in mind

Verb + noun
clear answer
a response that is easy to understand and unambiguous

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (5)

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Simplified etymology

Answer is an Old English word from the same root as swear. It originally meant “rebut an accusation,” literally “swear against.”

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂éntsder. Proto-Germanic *anda- Proto-Indo-European *swer-der. Proto-Germanic *swarō Proto-Germanic *andaswarō Proto-West Germanic *andaswaru Old English andswaru Middle English answere English answer From Middle English answere, andsware, from Old English andswaru (“answer”), from and- (“against”) + swaru (“affirmation”), (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (“front, forehead”) and Old English swerian (“to swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer-), suggesting an original meaning of "a sworn statement rebutti…

*h₂en- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European answere Middle English andswaru Old English swerian Old English *swer- Proto-Indo-European *andaswarō Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication

External links

# answer

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈæn.sɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɑːn.sə/
**Frequency rank:** 508

## Meanings
1. Something you say or write in reply to a question, letter, or request.
2. To say or write something in reply to a question or request.
3. A solution to a problem.

## Examples
- I waited several days for an answer to my email.
- She answered all the questions on the test correctly.
- Studying harder is the answer to your low grades.

## Derived Forms
- answerability
- answerable
- answerer
- answerless
- answerphone
- autoanswer
- counteranswer
- foreanswer
- misanswer
- multianswer
- non-answer
- nonanswer

## Related Forms
- ask
- question

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂en-
- Root: *h₂ent-
- Root: answere
- Root: andswaru
- Root: swerian
- Root: *swer-
- Root: *andaswarō

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂éntsder. Proto-Germanic *anda- Proto-Indo-European *swer-der. Proto-Germanic *swarō Proto-Germanic *andaswarō Proto-West Germanic *andaswaru Old English andswaru Middle English answere English answer From Middle English answere, andsware, from Old English andswaru (“answer”), from and- (“against”) + swaru (“affirmation”), (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (“front, forehead”) and Old English swerian (“to swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer-), suggesting an original meaning of "a sworn statement rebutti…

## AI Etymology
Answer comes from Middle English answere, andsware, from Old English andswaru (“answer”), from and- (“against”) plus swaru (“affirmation”), (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (“front, forehead”) and Old English swerian (“to swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer-), suggesting an original meaning of " The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-.

## Topics
- Communication

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