delay on their part

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "delay on their part" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a certain group of people being at fault for a delay in an event or task. For example: "We were unable to finish our project on time due to a delay on their part."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

But once a care order is obtained, no delay on their part is acceptable.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

This is wishful thinking on their part.

The New York Times

No statements on their part, just questions.

Forbes

A delay on their side?

Huffington Post

Perhaps they can take something off your plate or work around a delay on your part.

Harvard Business Review

That jurisdiction was neither surrendered nor lost by delay on the part of the circuit court in exercising its power to proceed, without notice and proof, and upon its own view of what occurred, to immediate punishment.

Cornell University

(I wondered whether it was a delay, on the part of her local cable system, to permit the bleeping of untoward language and told her that, if I were quick on the description, she could have impressed her roommate with her clairvoyance in calling balls and strikes before they left the pitcher's hand).

The New Yorker

Ms. Bachelet has denied that there was any delay on her part, telling The New York Times in an interview on Saturday that she did her best in a crisis of unprecedented magnitude given the failed communication systems and collapsed bridges.

The New York Times

The company had earlier said the speakers would begin shipping in late October, so this is a bit of a delay on its part.

TechCrunch

Pre-admission delay on the part of the patient and post-admission delay by the surgeon are responsible for combined delay in diagnosis and definitive management[6 8].

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

A delay on the part of the 5th Circuit prevents the Supreme Court from making a final decision and defers justice for immigrant communities on a long path to finding lasting reform.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When attributing a "delay on their part", be specific about who "they" refers to in order to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid simply stating "delay on their part" without explaining the specific reasons or contributing factors to the delay. Providing context makes the statement more informative.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delay on their part" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or verb, indicating the cause or source of a delay. As Ludwig AI states, it points to a specific group's responsibility for the delay.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

28%

Formal & Business

11%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Academia

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "delay on their part" is a common and grammatically sound way to attribute responsibility for a delay, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. Its function is to point out the source of the delay. It is most frequently found in news reports, scientific articles, and business documents. While the phrase is generally neutral, it can carry a slightly accusatory tone depending on the context. Therefore, it's important to be specific about who "they" refers to and to provide context for the reasons behind the delay. Alternatives include "their delay", "tardiness on their part", and "failure on their part", which vary slightly in nuance and formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

their delay

This alternative is shorter and more direct, omitting the prepositional phrase.

tardiness on their part

This alternative replaces "delay" with a synonym, "tardiness", maintaining the same structure.

failure on their part

This alternative substitutes "delay" with "failure", indicating a stronger negative outcome.

negligence on their part

This option suggests the delay was due to a lack of care or attention.

omission on their part

Here the delay is attributed to something that was not done.

their procrastination

This replaces the entire phrase with a noun indicating the cause of the delay.

their dawdling

Here "delay" is substituted with the word "dawdling", implying they did something very slowly

the holdup they caused

This alternative focuses on the action of causing a delay.

the postponement they initiated

This alternative indicates the active role in initiating the delay.

their sluggishness

This replaces the phrase with a noun indicating the reason for the delay.

FAQs

How can I use "delay on their part" in a sentence?

You can use "delay on their part" to indicate that someone or a group of people caused a delay. For example, "The project was stalled due to a "delay on their part"".

What's a more formal way to say "delay on their part"?

A more formal alternative could be "tardiness on their side" or "failure to provide the requirements in a timely fashion" depending on the context.

Is "delay on their part" accusatory?

Yes, the phrase "delay on their part" can imply blame. If you want to be neutral, you could say "there was a delay" or "the process was delayed".

What can I say instead of "delay on their part" to emphasize the impact of the delay?

You could use phrases like "their delay caused significant setbacks" or "their failure to act promptly resulted in…" to highlight the consequences of the "delay on their part".