establishing responsibility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "establishing responsibility" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it in contexts where you are discussing accountability or assigning roles in a project or situation. Example: "The first step in the project is establishing responsibility among team members to ensure everyone knows their tasks."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

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

A few other highlights of the provision: –It would knock out a significant current barrier to litigation by doing away with a rule that restricts the filing of a Medicare suit until after a previous "judgment," that is to say, after the success of an earlier lawsuit establishing responsibility for the injury.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 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

But David Owen, author of the book Air Accident Investigation, says, "Even if fragments of a missile were retrieved, it would not be enough to establish responsibility because both sides have access to this kind of equipment".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "establishing responsibility", ensure you clearly define the scope and extent of the responsibility being assigned to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid assigning the same responsibility to multiple parties without clearly defining each party's specific role to prevent confusion and inefficiency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "establishing responsibility" functions as a gerund phrase acting as a noun, often serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig's examples show its use in the context of legal, ethical, and organizational accountability.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

30%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "establishing responsibility" is a grammatically correct and usable English phrase that focuses on defining and assigning accountability. While Ludwig AI states it is relatively rare, it appears across various contexts, including news, science, and wiki sources. The phrase functions as a gerund phrase, typically acting as a noun in a sentence, and is generally used in a neutral to professional register. When using this phrase, ensure the scope of the responsibility is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. Related phrases include "defining accountability" and "assigning liability", offering alternative ways to express accountability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

defining accountability

This alternative focuses on the act of clearly defining who is accountable.

assigning liability

This phrase emphasizes the legal aspect of assigning responsibility for damages or wrongdoing.

determining culpability

This highlights the process of finding who is at fault or blameworthy.

identifying the responsible party

This emphasizes the act of pointing out who is in charge or accountable.

clarifying duties

This alternative highlights the act of making duties more easily understandable.

setting obligations

This shifts focus to the act of setting or determining specific responsibilities.

ascertaining answerability

This formal alternative emphasizes the act of discovering who is answerable or accountable.

allocating tasks

This focuses on the distribution of tasks and associated responsibilities.

deciding who is accountable

This alternative places stress on the decision making part.

identifying the liable entity

This is a more specific, legalistic way of saying who is legally responsible.

FAQs

How to use "establishing responsibility" in a sentence?

You can use "establishing responsibility" to describe the process of determining who is accountable for a task, outcome, or failure. For instance, "The goal of the investigation is "establishing responsibility" for the data breach".

What can I say instead of "establishing responsibility"?

Alternatives to "establishing responsibility" include "defining accountability", "assigning liability", or "determining culpability", depending on the specific context.

Is "establishing responsibility" formal or informal?

"Establishing responsibility" is generally considered a neutral to formal phrase, suitable for professional, legal, and academic contexts.

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

While similar, ""establishing responsibility"" focuses on assigning the duty or obligation, while "establishing accountability" emphasizes ensuring that someone is answerable for their actions or outcomes. The difference is subtle but important for clarity.