partially accountable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "partially accountable" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing someone's responsibility or liability in a situation that is not complete or total. Example: "While the team leader is partially accountable for the project's failure, other factors also contributed to the outcome."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

But quite often, the shooters themselves cannot be held fully or even partially accountable, financially, because they are unknown, destitute or dead.

The New York Times

Adrift personally and professionally, uninspired to do much songwriting of his own, he turned to his family: He would lean on them for his next album, for support, for collaboration, for some kind of magical undoing of the fissures — "the things that happened when I was a kid" — he held partially accountable for his current state of affairs.

The New York Times - Magazine

The level of cooperation between the Venezuelans and the Iranians is so substantial with respect to arms transfers, agricultural projects and explicit, direct support of Hamas and Hezbollah that it would be a profound error not to hold the Russians at least partially accountable for actions by these groups, which are destabilizing an already unstable world.

Forbes

According to Cindy Clements, her husband held himself partially accountable for what had happened to his close friend.

Huffington Post

Over the past year, he has had fingers pointed at him over Winehouse's death; the media, the public and even some people in the music industry believe he's partially accountable for her passing.

Huffington Post

Those people likely had come more from disadvantaged environments, than advantaged, yet they all are being held partially accountable for serious misdeeds related to someone who surely was quite obviously even more disadvantaged.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

It ensures that the prime minister of the day has some command of all areas of policy and is held accountable, at least partially, for them.

The Guardian

"In the scope of our debt crisis, if Senator Reid and Senator Schumer force the government to partially shut down over these sensible spending cuts, Americans will hold them accountable," Mr. Cantor said in his statement.

The New York Times

Comparison to control conditions suggests that in contexts where the allocation is at least partially under the control of Player 1, Player 2 will punish Player 1 accountable for unintentional negative outcomes.

Plosone

This is partially due to the fact that writing things down forces you to be held accountable for your decisions.

WikiHow

"This is on you partially whether you like it or not". "Leave it to the liberals to expect one person to be held accountable for the individual actions of every person who hears them," shot back another.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "partially accountable" to soften blame or liability, particularly when multiple factors or individuals contributed to an outcome.

Common error

Avoid using "partially accountable" when the subject bears full responsibility. Overstating a limited accountability can diminish the importance of their role in the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "partially accountable" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate a limited degree of responsibility or liability. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

11%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "partially accountable" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that signifies a limited or shared responsibility. Ludwig AI affirms this assessment. While not as common as other phrases, its usage is appropriate in various contexts, especially in news and media, and science. When using "partially accountable", be sure to clarify the extent of the accountability to avoid ambiguity. Consider alternatives like partly responsible or "somewhat at fault", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat responsible

Indicates a degree of responsibility, but not fully.

partly responsible

Similar to 'partially responsible', implying shared responsibility.

partially responsible for

Specifically attributes some responsibility for an action or outcome.

partly liable

Suggests legal responsibility to some extent.

partially liable

Similar to 'partly liable', emphasizing a limited degree of legal obligation.

partially to blame

Indicates a degree of fault or culpability.

somewhat at fault

Indicates a degree of fault or culpability, without being entirely responsible.

partly culpable

Suggests a degree of moral or ethical blameworthiness.

indirectly responsible

Highlights a less direct causal link to responsibility.

contributor to

Indicates involvement without explicitly assigning blame or liability.

FAQs

What does "partially accountable" mean?

The phrase "partially accountable" means someone is responsible or liable to some degree, but not entirely. It implies shared or limited responsibility.

How can I use "partially accountable" in a sentence?

You might say, "The project's failure was due to several factors, and the team leader is "somewhat responsible"" or "partly responsible, but not solely.".

What are some alternatives to saying "partially accountable"?

Alternatives include "somewhat responsible", "partly liable", or "partially to blame", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "partially accountable" or "fully accountable"?

The better choice depends on the context. Use "partially accountable" when responsibility is shared or limited. Use "fully accountable" when someone bears complete responsibility.