Definition of responsibility in English:

responsibility

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nounplural noun responsibilities

1The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.
‘a true leader takes responsibility for their team and helps them achieve goals’
- ‘So therefore, we have to take responsibility for controlling those powers we develop.’
- ‘The entire community has to take responsibility for preventing and dealing with victimization.’
- ‘The NEP is designed to encourage local communities to take responsibility for managing their own estuaries.’
- ‘And in turn, those subjugated by that state should take responsibility for their leaders.’
- ‘And, if we deal with reality, scholars must take responsibility for theories.’
- ‘‘The minister's prime responsibility and biggest duty is to ensure public safety,’ she said.’
- ‘As well as recruiting for the new roles, the company will take responsibility for training and management of all new hires.’
- ‘There was an onus on parents to take responsibility for their children and this was not emphasised enough.’
- ‘Fellow climbers offer limited help, but no one is prepared to take responsibility for his life.’
- ‘I make the effort, not only to recycle but to take responsibility for the waste my home produces.’
- ‘Individual producers are encouraged to take responsibility for the biosecurity of their livestock enterprises.’
- ‘Women are more likely to take responsibility for daily and routine money management and ensure that children's needs are met.’
- ‘The more we take responsibility for our energy, the more empowered and productive we become.’
- ‘The first step is to take responsibility for your computer just like you take responsibility for your own health.’
- ‘I'm sure it's possible for us as a species to take responsibility for our own waste products.’
- ‘However, paraprofessionals assumed primary responsibility for the personal care of students and for playground supervision.’
- ‘In their new role, grandmothers became intimately involved with their grandchildren by assuming primary responsibility for their care.’
- ‘The pilot in command bears ultimate responsibility for his own safety.’
- ‘Throughout the marriage, Heather assumed primary responsibility for the care of the children and the home.’
- ‘There was a lack of creativity and a lack of taking responsibility on our part, " Christie said.’
authority, control, power, leadership, management, influence
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1. 1.1The state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something.
  ‘the group has claimed responsibility for a string of murders’
  ‘The President is constitutionally unable to accept blame or responsibility for anything which happens under his watch.’
  ‘But a minister should also be prepared to accept blame and responsibility for the mistakes and bungles made.’
  ‘And by setting up a demand that is impossible to fulfil, it replaces responsibility and accountability with blame.’
  ‘Start by accepting this responsibility and stop blaming others for your failures.’
  ‘No one seemed to care, be accountable, or accept responsibility - except me.’
  ‘Not once did the manager accept any blame or responsibility himself.’
  ‘The proprietors will not accept responsibility for any loss of or damage to personal property while on the premises.’
  ‘No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but such violence is usually blamed on religious militants.’
  ‘They shirked responsibility, put the blame on others, finding refuge in generalities and then in an unthinking bustle of activity.’
  ‘This is another form of avoiding responsibility and shifting blame.’
  ‘The blame and responsibility rests squarely upon human shoulders.’
  ‘He places the blame and responsibility for the murder on the boy in question and how he was raised.’
  ‘Once again the government is abdicating its responsibility and laying the blame elsewhere.’
  ‘The letter attempts to apportion responsibility and blame between our council and the Government.’
  ‘Every department blames the other and no one accepts responsibility.’
  ‘For the first time, something deep within his being finally faced the facts, finally accepted responsibility.’
  ‘Do you want me to take full blame and full responsibility?’
  ‘In fact, no one has claimed responsibility for any of the recent terrorist attacks in the area.’
  ‘I had not realised how much he blamed himself, how willing he was to accept full responsibility for what had happened to me.’
  ‘Now, there has been a claim of responsibility for today's attack.’
  blame, fault, guilt, culpability, blameworthiness, liability
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2. 1.2The opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization.
  ‘we would expect individuals lower down the organization to take on more responsibility’
  ‘Install a corporate ethics officer with real authority and independent reporting responsibility to the board.’
  ‘They were given both decision making power and responsibility.’
  ‘Such mutual independence supported by collective responsibility through state institutions seems like a good thing to me.’
  ‘Moreover, the job has provided me with great responsibility as well as opportunities, many of which I have exploited.’
  ‘And they want equality of both opportunity and responsibility.’
  ‘If you believe in social justice, in solidarity, in equality of opportunity and responsibility, then believe in the reforms to get us there.’
  ‘They already have responsibility for key decisions about transport, waste, energy, housing and other development.’
  ‘The increases were recommended by independent panels, which say new ways of making decisions mean more responsibility and work.’
  ‘It's a real commitment to equal opportunity, to fiscal responsibility and a fair society.’
  ‘Lessons about decision making and responsibility are combined with often harsh physical tests to reinforce the message.’
  ‘This sums up very neatly his belief that people should be given both responsibility and opportunity, and that they will use both wisely.’
  ‘He said the corporation should also be given some responsibility and authority in the sandmining operations.’
  ‘He observed that meetings served several illusory purposes: communication, decision making, and responsibility.’
  ‘Meanwhile, employers have made a decision to pass retirement responsibility back to the state, by closing final salary schemes up and down the country.’
  ‘Give employees ownership of and responsibility for their decisions.’
  ‘Give responsibility for minor decision making to the elder councils.’
  ‘Cultures like the Japanese or some continental European ones are less aghast at the idea of collective decision making and responsibility.’
  ‘Employees are chosen for self-sufficiency and for the ability to take responsibility.’
  ‘It's very important for the growth of the child's ability and responsibility to think in a complex way.’
  ‘Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events.’
3. 1.3often responsibilitiesA thing that one is required to do as part of a job, role, or legal obligation.
  ‘he will take over the responsibilities of overseas director’
  ‘Actors need to adopt a wider set of roles and responsibilities, underpinned by regulation.’
  ‘Further official roles and responsibilities are being drawn up by the board.’
  ‘The table gives the main roles and responsibilities for research governance.’
  ‘The company cannot be allowed to get out of its legal responsibilities in this way.’
  ‘The role and responsibilities of the sponsor in clinical research are key issues.’
  ‘I know of a particular group who are already set up and will take on this task and the responsibilities that go with it.’
  ‘We have a social responsibility and the authority has legal responsibilities.’
  ‘The burden of his espionage responsibilities gives him a distinct air of desperation.’
  ‘He has resumed full responsibilities at work and continues to play a key role in the partnership.’
  ‘These newly elected trustees must surely be aware of the magnitude of their responsibilities.’
  ‘She'd like me to be more creative, but that kind of life is easier if you don't have responsibilities.’
  ‘Unhappiness at work and home can also arise if you feel unsure about how to cope with your responsibilities.’
  ‘His responsibilities include modernisation of the health service across the North.’
  ‘It would have responsibilities over a range of areas including jobs, housing and planning.’
  ‘I hope they will receive a commensurate pay rise for any additional responsibilities.’
  ‘Civilian officers have been asked to take on their responsibilities, he said.’
  ‘I have different responsibilities now, and as yet have no idea how onerous they'll be.’
  ‘My responsibilities have dramatically decreased, giving me time to learn my lines.’
  ‘Three months ago my girlfriend began a more demanding job with a lot of new responsibilities.’
  ‘The club is well aware of its responsibilities and treats the situation very seriously.’
  duty, task, function, job, role, place, charge, business, onus, burden, liability, accountability, answerability, province
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4. 1.4responsibility to/towardin singular A moral obligation to behave correctly toward or in respect of.
  ‘individuals have a responsibility to control personal behavior’
  ‘They have the responsibility to behave reasonably in the face of possible threats.’
  ‘Individuals had a moral responsibility to secure just rights for themselves and others.’
  ‘I think they have a moral responsibility to people.’
  ‘Every person has a responsibility to behave with integrity, honesty and fairness.’
  ‘We have a responsibility to respect the consciences of the individuals and groups among us and among the church community.’
  ‘Or might we reduce it to a moral question: do not occupiers have a moral responsibility to take the most extraordinary care with civilian lives?’
  ‘We have a responsibility to respect their creative integrity and artistic vision while finding new ways to do business.’
  ‘Every citizen has the right to information, but they also have a responsibility to respect various security considerations.’
  ‘I believe we have a moral responsibility to change the world for today's and tomorrow's children.’
  ‘You and I have a moral responsibility to lift these families out of poverty.’
  ‘Where the private sector fails to provide jobs, the public sector has a moral responsibility to do so.’
  ‘Junior staff now have limits on their working hours, but we have a moral responsibility to get the work done.’
  ‘They have a moral responsibility to be impartial and to show that they are impartial.’
  ‘He says that to maintain integrity, doctors have a moral responsibility to act as advocates for their patients and try and change the system.’
  ‘Let's examine if we have an ethical responsibility to respect this secret.’
  ‘I also maintain that employers have a moral responsibility to pay their staff a living wage.’
  ‘They understand that they have the responsibility to behave in an acceptable manner.’
  ‘I don't know about the UN's legal rights, but surely there's a moral responsibility to intervene.’
  ‘Certainly we have a responsibility to work toward relieving the global burden of injustice.’
  ‘Each and every individual has a responsibility towards these forests and trees, he said.’
  trustworthiness, level-headedness, rationality, sanity, reason, reasonableness, sense, common sense, stability, maturity, adultness, reliability, dependability, competence
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