assign culpability to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "assign culpability to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the act of attributing blame or responsibility for a wrongdoing or fault to someone or something. Example: "In the investigation, the committee decided to assign culpability to the management for the safety violations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"I would not be surprised if half of these loans went down," a Citigroup trader is quoted in the statement.But the statement is brief and does not assign culpability to any individuals.

The Economist

Still, while they agree that clues about the risky nature of the experiment are clear in retrospect, scientists and other experts around the country remain divided about whether the evidence was obvious enough at the time to assign culpability to one researcher, to Hopkins, or to the overall system for assessing research involving humans in the United States.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Investigators are likely to avoid assigning culpability to the politicians or policymakers, of both parties, who authorized or were aware of the authorization of– these activities, and simply blame the CIA and its officials.

Forbes

Ferguson and the Middle East do have one striking commonality, but it has less to do with armored vehicles in the streets than with the way in which the media assigns culpability to black and brown bodies for the violence perpetrated against them.

Huffington Post

Although many others might have, he assigned no culpability to the previous occupant of the White House, his older brother.

The New York Times

Assigning human culpability to the status of a duty to humans not involved is problematic, so it cannot obligate us to clone mammoths.

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

The case also brings up questions about the limits of speech on the Internet: How does one assign levels of culpability to someone who shares thoughts with people who say they are already considering suicide?

The New York Times

The UN report, not yet released, does not assign culpability for chemical weapons use.

The Guardian

I do believe it is important to assign culpability--a culpability which falls disproportionately on the shoulders of Hezbollah.

Huffington Post

Using a robot in a military situation diffuses culpability to such an extent that even our idea of blame is very difficult to assign to any one place.

Vice

Its principal tactic was to shift culpability to UCIL, stating the plant was wholly built and operated by the Indian subsidiary.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "assign culpability to", ensure that the evidence clearly supports the attribution of blame. Avoid making unsubstantiated accusations.

Common error

Avoid using "assign culpability to" in situations where responsibility is shared or unclear. It's better to identify contributing factors rather than making definitive assignments of blame without sufficient evidence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "assign culpability to" functions as a verb phrase followed by a noun and a preposition. Its primary grammatical function is to attribute blame or responsibility to a specific entity or individual. As evidenced by Ludwig, it appears in contexts where accountability needs to be clearly established.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Academia

7%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "assign culpability to" is a phrase used to explicitly attribute blame or responsibility to someone or something for a wrongdoing. Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically correct, though not exceedingly common in everyday language. The phrase is often found in formal contexts like news reports, legal documents, and investigative reports, reflecting its purpose of clearly establishing accountability. While alternatives like "attribute blame to" or "hold responsible for" exist, the core meaning remains focused on designating fault. Ensure that any assignment of culpability is supported by solid evidence to avoid broad or unsubstantiated accusations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

attribute blame to

Focuses on the action of attributing blame, slightly more direct.

place the blame on

Emphasizes the act of placing blame, more colloquial.

hold responsible for

Highlights the responsibility aspect, suitable for formal contexts.

pin the responsibility on

Suggests a more definitive assigning of responsibility.

impute fault to

A more formal and legalistic way of assigning fault.

ascribe responsibility to

Similar to "assign", but can also imply assigning a cause.

lay the blame at the door of

An idiomatic expression, more vivid and accusatory.

fix the responsibility on

Emphasizes the certainty of the assigned responsibility.

charge with fault

More direct and assertive, implying an accusation.

consider liable for

Focuses on legal liability, suitable for legal contexts.

FAQs

How to use "assign culpability to" in a sentence?

Use "assign culpability to" when you want to state that someone or something is responsible for a fault or wrongdoing. For example, "The investigation aimed to assign culpability to those responsible for the data breach."

What can I say instead of "assign culpability to"?

You can use alternatives like "attribute blame to", "hold responsible for", or "place the blame on" depending on the context.

Is it better to "assign culpability" or "determine responsibility"?

"Assign culpability" implies blame, while "determine responsibility" is more neutral and focuses on establishing who was in charge or accountable. The choice depends on whether you want to emphasize blame or simply identify roles and duties.

Can "assign culpability to" be used in a legal context?

Yes, "assign culpability to" is frequently used in legal and investigative contexts when determining legal responsibility for an action or event.