establish responsibility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "establish responsibility" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the need to assign accountability or clarify roles in a particular context, such as in a project or organization. Example: "To ensure the project's success, we must establish responsibility among team members for their specific tasks."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

Human Rights Watch has described the trial as "an important stage" in efforts to establish responsibility for the use of children in military operations.

The Guardian

Valérie Murat wanted to pursue the legal action to establish responsibility for her father's death, spurring on France's first ever criminal investigation of its kind into the homicide involontaire (manslaughter) of a vineyard worker.

The Guardian

It has been difficult to establish responsibility for the school collapses partly because it is unclear in many cases which level of government is responsible for the original school construction and for ongoing inspections.

The New York Times

The trial, under way since November, was the first court proceeding brought by Russian prosecutors to establish responsibility for the wave of apartment bombings that terrorized many Russians and inflamed public opinion against the Chechen rebellion.

The New York Times

The investigation into the deaths of 156 people and the disappearance of 25 more during the tsunami seeks to establish responsibility for the confusing and contradictory chain of decisions made by government officials and emergency agencies shortly after the earthquake.

The New York Times

The cases show how hard it is to establish responsibility for atrocious crimes, 70 years after they took place.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

It is hoped that the H1N1v pandemic, a pandemic associated with limited morbidity and mortality, will provide an opportunity to establish responsibilities and hierarchies in management.

BMC Public Health

Obtain volunteers, establish responsibilities, and create a work schedule.

WikiHow

As is so often the case with corporate scandals, establishing responsibility proves a slippery task.

The Guardian

Recognizing the complex roots of the conflict, the agreement also called for establishing responsibility for the crimes committed and for constitutional, electoral and security-sector reforms, so that the cycle of violence would not be repeated.

The New York Times

The report, by Stephen Heder, a Cambodia scholar, and Brian D. Tittemore, a legal expert, was written out of frustration -- concerned that without a tribunal there would never be a legal document establishing responsibility for the Cambodian killings, said Diane Orentlicher of American University, who led the project.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "establish responsibility", ensure the context clearly indicates who is responsible and for what. Be specific about the scope and extent of the responsibility being established.

Common error

Avoid using "establish responsibility" without clearly defining the specific tasks or outcomes for which someone is accountable. Vague assignments can lead to confusion and lack of ownership. For example, it's better to say "Establish responsibility for managing the project budget" rather than simply "Establish responsibility for the project".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "establish responsibility" functions as a verb phrase followed by a noun. It describes the act of setting up, clarifying, or determining who is accountable for a particular task, duty, or outcome. Ludwig examples show its use in various contexts, including legal, ethical, and managerial.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "establish responsibility" is a grammatically correct and usable English expression used to describe the act of determining or clarifying who is accountable for something. Ludwig AI classifies it as correct and its usage appears mainly in news, media, and scientific contexts. While "establish accountability", ""determine responsibility"", and ""define responsibility"" offer similar meanings, "establish responsibility" focuses on the initial act of assigning or clarifying a duty. A key writing tip is to avoid vagueness when using the phrase by clearly specifying what someone is responsible for. Overall, understanding its usage patterns and subtle nuances can enhance the clarity and precision of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

determine responsibility

Focuses on the process of finding who is accountable.

establish accountability

Emphasizes making someone answerable for their actions.

define responsibility

Highlights the clarification of duties and roles.

assign responsibility

Directly indicates the act of giving someone a duty.

establish obligations

Shifts focus to the duties or requirements created.

clarify responsibility

Highlights the removal of ambiguity regarding duties.

set responsibility

Implies a more decisive or official assignment of duties.

delineate responsibility

Suggests a careful drawing of the lines of accountability.

allocate responsibility

Emphasizes the distribution of duties among multiple parties.

establish liability

More specifically deals with legal accountability.

FAQs

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

You can use "establish responsibility" to describe the act of determining who is accountable for something. For example, "The investigation aims to "determine responsibility" for the accident" or "The goal is to "define responsibility" clearly within the team".

What's the difference between "establish responsibility" and "establish accountability"?

While similar, "establish responsibility" focuses on defining the duty or task someone is answerable for, while "establish accountability" emphasizes making someone answerable for the outcome of those duties. You "establish responsibility" to clarify roles and establish accountability to ensure results.

Which is correct, "establish responsibility" or ""determine responsibility""?

Both phrases are correct, but they have slightly different nuances. "Establish responsibility" suggests setting up or clarifying the role or duty, while ""determine responsibility"" implies finding out who is already accountable, often after an event has occurred.

What are some alternatives to "establish responsibility"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "assign responsibility", ""define responsibility"", ""determine responsibility"", or "clarify responsibility".