assign responsibility for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "assign responsibility for" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the delegation of tasks or duties to individuals or groups within an organization or project. Example: "The manager will assign responsibility for the project to the team members based on their expertise."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

Statistically, both response professionals and laypeople assign responsibility for their personal safety and provision of resources in a similar manner (Fig. 3).

Journal of Applied Volcanology

But it did not assign responsibility for the killings.

The New York Times

The group did not assign responsibility for the killings.

The New York Times

The critics are lining up to assign responsibility for the disastrous power problem last week.

The New York Times

It's also best to assign responsibility for the whistleblowing policy to a particular member of staff, according to West.

The Guardian

And, once meetings are over, we don't effectively assign responsibility for a bad meeting or take personal responsibility as we should.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

Generally, the owner is still responsible for major repairs, but the lease option contract can assign responsibilities for minor repairs to the tenant.

WikiHow

For example, sending a memo can be an efficient way to assign responsibilities for an upcoming conference that your department is hosting.

WikiHow

This means specifying tangible goals and assigning responsibility for creating, summarizing and reporting on them.

The New York Times

Assigning responsibility for dead fish, unhealthy air, biological fragmentation – can be politically charged.

The New York Times

"Was the cause psychological or biological?" is the wrong question when assigning responsibility for an action.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "assign responsibility for", ensure the task or area of accountability is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid assigning responsibility without providing adequate resources or authority. This can lead to frustration and failure.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "assign responsibility for" functions as a verb phrase, indicating the action of delegating or allocating accountability for a specific task, duty, or area. Ludwig provides numerous examples demonstrating its widespread use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Science

34%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

9%

Encyclopedias

7%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "assign responsibility for" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression for delegating accountability. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's applicable across various domains, from news and media to scientific and formal business settings. When using the phrase, clarity is key: ensure the assigned tasks are well-defined. For slight variations in meaning, consider alternatives like "delegate accountability for" or "transfer responsibility for". In general, avoid vagueness in the assignment itself to promote effective task completion and maintain clear accountability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

assign liability for

Focuses specifically on legal or financial accountability.

assign accountability for

Highlights the aspect of being answerable for outcomes.

transfer responsibility for

Emphasizes the act of shifting a duty or obligation.

delegate responsibility for

Implies giving authority to someone else to carry out a task.

apportion responsibility for

Suggests dividing or distributing responsibility among multiple parties.

hold accountable for

Focuses on making someone answerable for their actions or decisions.

ascribe responsibility for

Suggests attributing a cause or origin to something.

place the onus on

Emphasizes the burden or obligation being put on someone.

impute blame to

Specifically suggests attributing fault or culpability.

saddle with the responsibility

Suggests imposing a burden of responsibility, sometimes unwanted.

FAQs

How can I use "assign responsibility for" in a sentence?

You can use "assign responsibility for" when you need to delegate tasks or duties to individuals or groups. For example: "The project manager will assign responsibility for each task to the team members".

What is a good alternative to "assign responsibility for"?

Alternatives to "assign responsibility for" include "delegate accountability for", "designate responsibility for", or "transfer responsibility for", depending on the context.

What is the difference between "assign responsibility for" and "assume responsibility for"?

"Assign responsibility for" means to give someone a duty, whereas "assume responsibility for" means to take on a duty yourself. They are opposite actions.

Is it better to "assign responsibilities for" or "assign responsibility for"?

"Assign responsibility for" is used when referring to a general area. "Assign responsibilities for" is correct when referring to specific, individual responsibilities. While both are grammatically correct, the choice depends on the context.