avoids responsibility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "avoids responsibility" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe someone who does not take accountability for their actions or decisions. Example: "He always finds a way to avoid responsibility when things go wrong."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

(Blameless Man, for instance, avoids responsibility for disasters).

The New York Times

The sooner the professionals in the Foreign Service and State Department come to understand this, the sooner they can begin to deal with the real problem: that the Muslim world avoids responsibility and the need to change by blaming all of its ills on Israel, and that vast portions of the Western world simply accept this.

The New York Times

Instead, America has a president who sticks his fingers in his ears at every piece of bad news, denounces his supposed enemies when reality isn't to his liking, and avoids responsibility at every turn.

Vice

Perhaps we need a new vocabulary, one that helps us describe a society that promotes the accumulation of vast riches, bails out the rich when they take too many chances, and avoids responsibility for the common good.

Huffington Post

This kind of language actually blames the other person and avoids responsibility.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Exxon's response was to embark on a campaign to avoid responsibility that would last decades.

Huffington Post

The coding introduced three subthemes: taking responsibility, sharing responsibility and avoiding responsibility (see Table  2) that were subsumed under the main theme: Responsibility in professional roles.

BMC Medical Education

Management actively tries to avoid responsibility.

The Guardian - Opinion

But the politicians also avoid responsibility.

The New York Times

Fresco said Pistorius tried to avoid responsibility.

The Guardian

This is not avoiding responsibility; it is stating a fact.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "avoids responsibility" to clearly indicate a deliberate action of shirking duties or evading accountability. It is more impactful than simply stating someone is not responsible.

Common error

Ensure the subject of "avoids responsibility" is actively choosing to evade duty, not simply unable to fulfill it. For passive scenarios, use phrases like "was not held responsible" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "avoids responsibility" functions as a verb phrase, where "avoids" is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb "avoid", and "responsibility" is the noun acting as the direct object. As indicated by Ludwig, it describes the action of evading accountability. This phrase is used to attribute a specific behavior to a subject.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "avoids responsibility" is grammatically sound and is utilized to convey the action of deliberately evading accountability. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in English. Although relatively rare, this phrase commonly appears in news and media contexts, highlighting instances of individuals or entities failing to take ownership of their actions. Synonyms such as "shirks accountability" and "evades accountability" offer similar meanings, while it's important to ensure the phrase is used in active rather than passive contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shirks accountability

Focuses on neglecting or evading accountability, highlighting a lack of willingness to be responsible.

evades accountability

Emphasizes skillfully avoiding responsibility, often through cunning or deception.

dodges responsibility

Suggests actively maneuvering to avoid being held responsible for something.

abdicates responsibility

Implies a formal or deliberate act of relinquishing responsibility.

disclaims responsibility

Focuses on denying or rejecting any connection to a particular responsibility.

shrugs off responsibility

Indicates a casual or indifferent attitude towards responsibility.

side-steps responsibility

Highlights the act of cleverly avoiding an obligation or duty.

neglects duties

Emphasizes a failure to properly attend to one's responsibilities or obligations.

fails to take ownership

Indicates a refusal to accept responsibility or acknowledge one's role in a situation.

deflects blame

Focuses on redirecting responsibility or fault onto someone or something else.

FAQs

What does "avoids responsibility" mean?

The phrase "avoids responsibility" means to deliberately evade or shirk duties, accountability, or blame for something. It suggests an active effort to not be held accountable for one's actions or obligations.

How can I use "avoids responsibility" in a sentence?

You can use "avoids responsibility" to describe someone who doesn't take ownership of their actions. For example: "The manager consistently "avoids responsibility" when projects fail."

What are some alternatives to "avoids responsibility"?

Alternatives to "avoids responsibility" include "shirks accountability", "evades accountability", and "dodges responsibility". The choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "avoid responsibility" instead of "avoids responsibility"?

The correct form depends on the subject. Use "avoid responsibility" for plural subjects (e.g., "They avoid responsibility"). Use "avoids responsibility" for singular subjects (e.g., "He avoids responsibility").