extent of blame

USAGE SUMMARY

"extent of blame" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing the degree or level of responsibility attributed to someone for a particular situation. For example, "The extent of blame for the project's failure was debated among the team members." Alternative expressions include "degree of fault" and "level of responsibility."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Since the report of the deaths, researchers have continued to trade barbs over many issues, including the extent of the storm's damage to the butterflies, the number of monarchs living in these areas and the extent of blame that can be laid upon the vast deforestation for the deaths.

The New York Times - Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Using a robot in a military situation diffuses culpability to such an extent that even our idea of blame is very difficult to assign to any one place.

Vice

To what extent should moral luck influence our judgments of blame and our attitudes of indignation, resentment, anger, guilt, and shame?

Huffington Post

On St George's campus, it sent administrators on a scramble to uncover the extent of the abuse and the institution's share of blame.

The Guardian

Enron employees who had all of their retirement funds in Enron stock have only themselves to blame for the extent of their losses.

The New York Times

It could also reshape history's reading of whether the construction of the skyscrapers themselves, regarded as revolutionary at the time, should share the blame for the extent of the casualties on Sept. 11.

The New York Times

Lax controls have been blamed for the extent of the damage at the Fukushima complex.

Los Angeles Times

Although the linkage between the attributions of control, responsibility, and blame was confirmed, the relationship of blame to self-stigma was not significant.

Social Science & Medicine

Blame was often placed on mothers, including a risk of blame for misaligned paternity.

Ethnicity and Health

The concepts of blame and shame were highly salient.

BMJ Open

This has important consequences for how 'gene talk' served to address questions of blame (see section 'Holding blame at bay?').

BioSocieties

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "extent of blame" when you need to quantify how much responsibility a person or entity should carry in a complex situation with multiple contributing factors.

Common error

Do not use "extent of blame" if you are questioning whether blame exists at all. Use it specifically when the fact of blame is established and only the quantity or degree is under debate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "extent of blame" functions as a complex noun phrase where 'extent' serves as the head noun, modified by the prepositional phrase 'of blame'. In various examples provided by Ludwig, it acts as the direct object of verbs like 'determine', 'uncover', or 'influence', allowing writers to treat the degree of responsibility as a quantifiable concept.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Social Media

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "extent of blame" is a robust and widely accepted linguistic tool for navigating complex moral and legal landscapes. According to Ludwig AI examples, it is a staple of high-tier journalism and academic research, used to denote the specific degree to which a party is responsible for a failure or catastrophe. It is most effective when the existence of responsibility is already acknowledged, and the writer needs to refine the discussion to focus on the magnitude of that responsibility. Whether used in a scientific paper on social stigma or a news report on political scandals, it provides a precise way to measure human or institutional failure without resorting to simplistic, all-or-nothing judgments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

share of the blame

Implies that the blame is divided among multiple parties.

degree of fault

Focuses more on technical or legal assessment of an error.

level of responsibility

A more neutral term often used in professional or organizational settings.

measure of culpability

Uses more formal language to describe the deservingness of blame.

scope of accountability

Emphasizes the range of duties for which one is held answerable.

distribution of blame

Refers to how blame is spread across various factors or people.

portion of guilt

Carries a stronger moral or emotional connotation than 'blame'.

burden of responsibility

Focuses on the weight or impact of being the one held accountable.

amount of liability

Commonly used in legal and insurance contexts regarding financial responsibility.

severity of fault

Highlights the seriousness of the mistake rather than the proportion.

FAQs

How do I use "extent of blame" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a measurement of responsibility, for example: "Investigators are still determining the "extent of blame" that can be assigned to the local authorities."

What is another way to say "extent of blame"?

Depending on your context, you might use "degree of fault" for legal situations or "share of the blame" when discussing multiple parties.

Is it "extent of blame" or "amount of blame"?

While both are understandable, "extent of blame" is generally preferred in formal writing because 'extent' better captures the abstract 'reach' or 'degree' of moral responsibility than the physical-sounding 'amount'.

What is the difference between "extent of blame" and "culpability"?

While "culpability" refers to the state of being at fault, "extent of blame" specifically focuses on the magnitude or scale of that fault.