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Timely vs Responsive - What's the difference?

timely | responsive |

In obsolete terms the difference between timely and responsive

is that timely is at the right time; seasonably while responsive is responsible.

As adjectives the difference between timely and responsive

is that timely is done at the proper time while responsive is answering, replying or responding.

As an adverb timely

is in good time; early, quickly.

timely

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Done at the proper time.
  • Happening or appearing at the proper time.
  • * Milton
    • The timely dew of sleep.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 20 , author=Jamie Lillywhite , title=Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The athletic Walker, one of Tottenham's more effective attacking elements with his raids from right-back, made a timely intervention after Rose had been dispossessed and even Aaron Lennon was needed to provide an interception in the danger zone to foil another attempt by the Russians.}}
  • (obsolete) Keeping time or measure.
    • (Spenser)

    Synonyms

    * (done at the proper time ): well-timed * (happening or appearing at the proper time ): opportune, seasonable

    Antonyms

    * (done at the proper time ): badly timed, ill-timed * (happening or appearing at the proper time ): inopportune, unseasonable

    Derived terms

    * mistimely * overtimely * timelily * timeliness * timely-parted * untimely

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (archaic) In good time; early, quickly.
  • * 2000 , (George RR Martin), A Storm of Swords , Bantam 2011, p. 587:
    • ‘If I had been born more timely , he said, Rhaegar would have married me instead of Elia, and it would all have come out different.’
  • (obsolete) At the right time; seasonably.
  • * 1646 , (Thomas Browne), Pseudodoxia Epidemica :
    • And this we shall more readily perform, if we timely survey our knowledge, impartially singling out those encroachments, which junior compliance and popular credulity hath admitted.

    See also

    * seasonably

    responsive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Answering, replying or responding.
  • Able to receive and respond to external stimuli.
  • Using antiphons; antiphonal.
  • Susceptible to the feelings of others.
  • (obsolete) Suited to something else; correspondent.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • The vocal lay responsive to the strings.
  • (obsolete) responsible
    • (Jeremy Taylor)

    Antonyms

    * nonresponsive * unresponsive

    Derived terms

    * responsively * responsiveness * responsorial ----