avoid the responsibility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "avoid the responsibility" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the act of not taking on a duty or obligation. Example: "He tried to avoid the responsibility of leading the project, leaving his team without direction."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

They may prefer to avoid the responsibility, leaving them room for Benghazi-style recriminations later, if things go wrong.

The New Yorker

It alone has the power and values to do the job, and it cannot avoid the responsibility.

The New York Times - Books

"What we are looking at now is the Haitian goverment trying to avoid the responsibility of taking care of their population in the Dominican Republic," he said.

The Guardian

"The judge's ruling means that the litigation can finally get under way, and that the state can no longer avoid the responsibility for its wrongdoing".

The New York Times

"He'll be pointing to his own failure of leadership," Mr. Gillespie said on Monday, adding that Mr. Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. can't avoid the responsibility that comes with being in charge.

The New York Times

"The facts are there, everybody knows the facts are there, everybody knows that there's been inequitable funding to high-needs school districts, and what the governor is now doing is putting this commission in place to avoid the responsibility of dealing with it in his January budget submission," Mr. Silver said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

The sense that Trump desperately wants to avoid the responsibilities of being president hasn't been plucked from thin air.

Huffington Post

Indeed, many organisations appear to be avoiding the responsibility altogether.

The Guardian

"That is one way the regime avoids the responsibility for these murders.

The New York Times

Under this new regulatory environment, rural township health centers had become the pioneer of ownership conversion reform with local governments eagerly privatizing them to avoid the financial responsibility [ 13- 15].

BMC Health Services Research

After the Chinese government exempted Japan from its war indemnity and other responsibilities, due to China's joining in the Socialist camp, the Japanese government and people got more sufficient political and ideological reasons to avoid the war responsibilities.

Asian Journal of German and European Studies

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "avoid the responsibility", clarify why the responsibility is being avoided to provide context for the action.

Common error

Avoid using passive voice when describing who is "avoiding the responsibility" as it can obscure accountability. Instead of "The responsibility was avoided", specify "The manager avoided the responsibility."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "avoid the responsibility" serves as a verb phrase functioning as the predicate of a clause. It describes the action of evading a duty or obligation. Ludwig examples show how different entities can "avoid the responsibility" in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "avoid the responsibility" is a grammatically correct and usable expression, as validated by Ludwig. It's categorized as a phrase that describes the action of evading a duty or obligation. While not extremely common, it appears in neutral register across various contexts, particularly News & Media, Science, and Wiki. The Ludwig AI examples provide real-world illustrations of its usage. When writing, it's important to clarify the reason for avoiding the responsibility to add more context. Alternatives include "shirk responsibility" or "evade accountability", each with slight differences in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shirk responsibility

Emphasizes neglecting or evading a duty, implying a lack of conscientiousness.

evade accountability

Focuses on escaping blame or consequences for one's actions.

dodge the burden

Highlights the act of skillfully avoiding a difficult task or obligation.

sidestep the obligation

Implies cleverly avoiding a formal or moral duty.

duck responsibility

Suggests a quick or evasive movement to avoid being assigned a task.

pass the buck

Refers to shifting responsibility to someone else, often to avoid blame.

decline to take ownership

Emphasizes a refusal to accept responsibility or control over a situation.

abdicate responsibility

Implies formally relinquishing a duty or power.

neglect one's duties

Highlights a failure to fulfill required tasks or obligations.

opt out of commitment

Focuses on choosing not to participate in a binding obligation.

FAQs

What does it mean to "avoid the responsibility"?

To "avoid the responsibility" means to evade or neglect a duty, obligation, or task that one is expected to fulfill. It implies a conscious decision not to take on a particular burden or commitment.

How can I use "avoid the responsibility" in a sentence?

You can use "avoid the responsibility" to describe someone's actions, such as, "The company tried to avoid the responsibility for the environmental damage caused by the oil spill." Other options are: The politician attempted to "shirk responsibility".

What can I say instead of "avoid the responsibility"?

You can use alternatives like "shirk responsibility", "evade accountability", or "dodge the burden" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to "avoid the responsibility" or "accept the responsibility"?

Whether it's better to "avoid the responsibility" or "accept the responsibility" depends entirely on the context. Accepting responsibility is usually seen as a positive trait, while avoiding it can be seen as negative, especially if it results in harm or neglect of duty. Ultimately depends on the moral and ethical considerations involved.