overall responsibility for

USAGE SUMMARY

"overall responsibility for" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a certain person or group being responsible for something. For example, "The CEO holds overall responsibility for the company's strategy."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

In addition, he still leads the National Security Council, which has overall responsibility for security.

The New York Times

Dave has overall responsibility for the daily management of the group".

The Guardian - Business

The overall responsibility for meeting human rights obligations rests with the state.

The Guardian

The congregation had overall responsibility for such cases starting in 2001, and selectively before that.

The New York Times

No one on the estate has overall responsibility for all the services residents require.

The Economist

George Osborne remains chancellor of the Exchequer, with overall responsibility for management of the economy.

The New York Times

"There is no way to assign overall responsibility for the conflict to one side alone," the report found.

The Guardian

He was convicted of having overall responsibility for the Bali terrorist attack a year ago that killed 202 people.

The New York Times

As the chief executive of the university, I have overall responsibility for its academic, research, administrative, financial and development strategies.

The Guardian

A royal decree issued in April 1919 transferred overall responsibility for land held by ethnic groups to the interior ministry.

The Guardian

The post has overall responsibility for all forms of "fiction" - drama, comedy, BBC Films and programme acquisitions.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When assigning "overall responsibility for" a project or task, clearly define the scope of that responsibility to avoid ambiguity and ensure accountability. Communicate these responsibilities in writing.

Common error

Avoid creating situations where multiple parties believe they have "overall responsibility for" the same task. This can lead to confusion, duplicated effort, and ultimately, a lack of accountability. Clearly delineate roles to prevent overlaps.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "overall responsibility for" functions as a noun phrase that identifies who or what is accountable for something. As Ludwig AI suggests, this phrase highlights a direct and comprehensive duty.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "overall responsibility for" is a commonly used phrase to denote comprehensive accountability. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in written English. It's important to clearly define the scope of this responsibility to avoid ambiguity. While alternatives like ""chief responsibility for"" or ""ultimate accountability for"" exist, "overall responsibility for" is widely understood and accepted, making it a reliable choice in various contexts, particularly in news, science, and formal business settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ultimate accountability for

Replaces "responsibility" with "accountability" and "overall" with "ultimate", emphasizing the final and conclusive nature of the obligation.

chief responsibility for

Substitutes "overall" with "chief", highlighting the primary or leading role in the responsibility.

primary duty for

Uses "duty" instead of "responsibility", indicating a moral or legal obligation that is paramount.

main obligation for

Replaces "responsibility" with "obligation", stressing a binding requirement.

sole charge of

Indicates exclusive control and responsibility, shifting the focus from obligation to management.

total liability for

Emphasizes the legal or financial aspect of responsibility, implying potential consequences for failure.

complete answerability for

Highlights the need to justify actions and outcomes, suggesting a formal process of explanation.

full control over

Shifts the emphasis from duty to authority, implying that responsibility arises from having control.

principal task of

Focuses on the specific task or function that the person or group is responsible for, rather than the broader concept of responsibility.

key role in

De-emphasizes liability. Instead, highlights being the main actor for something, by contributing or managing.

FAQs

How to use "overall responsibility for" in a sentence?

You can use "overall responsibility for" to indicate that someone has the main duty or obligation to manage something. For example, "The project manager has "overall responsibility" for the project's success."

What can I say instead of "overall responsibility for"?

You can use alternatives like "primary duty for", "chief responsibility for", or "ultimate accountability for" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "overall responsibility for" and "shared responsibility for"?

"Overall responsibility for" indicates a single point of accountability, while "shared responsibility for" implies that multiple parties are collectively responsible and accountable. The former suggests a hierarchical structure, whereas the latter suggests a collaborative one.

Is it correct to say "have overall responsibility of" instead of "overall responsibility for"?

While "have overall responsibility of" might be understood, "overall responsibility for" is the more idiomatic and grammatically preferred phrasing. "Of" is more commonly used when specifying what the responsibility consists of, not what it pertains to. For instance: "It's his responsibility of ensuring regulatory compliance."