principally responsible

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "principally responsible" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that someone or something has the primary or main responsibility for a particular task or outcome. Example: "The project manager is principally responsible for ensuring that the project is completed on time and within budget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The ligand-binding domain is principally responsible for species-specific activation of NR1I2 in response to xenobiotic exposure.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Tourre admits he was principally responsible for the problematic disclosures".

The New Yorker

Malinda is principally responsible for making the company a notably humane place to work.

The New Yorker

But his company itself will be principally responsible for the retail portion of the project.

The New York Times

The court heard that Ms Beckingham was "principally responsible" for the tragedy.

The Guardian

His numerous inventions and innovations were principally responsible for Colt's preeminence in small arms.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"We will persist until those principally responsible are punished," said Maria Ysabel Cedano, executive director of feminist NGO Demus.

The Guardian

Blumenthal sees the modern news media, with their affinity for scandal-mongering, as principally responsible for recent political bashing.

The New York Times - Books

Alistair Webing, prosecuting, said: "The person who was principally responsible for this human disaster was Gillian Beckingham".

The Guardian

The nature of many of the sentiments expressed on public property has suggested that people between the ages of 15 and 22, rather than schoolchildren, are principally responsible.

The Guardian

"Both Police Director Garry F. McCarthy and Police Chief Anthony Campos are principally responsible for the dramatic decreases in violent crime for 2008," the mayor said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "principally responsible", ensure clarity by explicitly stating what the person or entity is responsible for. This avoids ambiguity and strengthens the sentence's impact.

Common error

Avoid using "principally responsible" when a situation has multiple contributing factors. Ensure your statement accurately reflects the degree of responsibility and doesn't unfairly place blame.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "principally responsible" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate the primary agent or cause of something. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and wide usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

32%

Encyclopedias

12%

Less common in

Wiki

11%

Formal & Business

0.05%

Reference

0.05%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "principally responsible" is a versatile adjective phrase widely used across various domains to denote primary accountability or causation. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and prevalent usage, particularly in news, scientific, and encyclopedic contexts. While "principally responsible" implies a major role, related phrases like ""mainly accountable"" or "primarily liable" can offer nuanced perspectives on responsibility. When employing this phrase, ensure clear context to avoid misattributing blame and to strengthen your message.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mainly accountable

Replaces "responsible" with "accountable" implying liability to report, explain or justify actions or results.

primarily liable

Replaces "responsible" with "liable", suggesting legal or financial obligations.

chiefly liable

Similar to primarily liable, but uses "chiefly" to highlight the main responsibility.

primarily in charge

Focuses on the aspect of control and management, with "in charge" replacing "responsible".

largely to blame

Shifts the focus towards fault or culpability rather than general responsibility.

mostly in control

Emphasizes the management aspect, highlighting who has control over a situation.

fundamentally accountable

Highlights the basic or essential level of accountability.

primarily the cause

Shifts the focus from responsibility to causation.

first and foremost responsible

Adds emphasis by placing "first and foremost" before "responsible".

leading the responsibility

Indicates taking lead role or position in handling responsibility for anything

FAQs

How to use "principally responsible" in a sentence?

Use "principally responsible" to indicate that someone or something has the main or primary responsibility for a particular action or outcome. For example, "The project manager is "mainly accountable" for the project's success".

What can I say instead of "principally responsible"?

You can use alternatives like "mainly responsible", "primarily liable", or "chiefly liable" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "principally responsible" or "primarily responsible"?

Both "principally responsible" and "primarily responsible" are correct and have similar meanings. "Principally" suggests main importance, while "primarily" suggests fundamental importance.

What's the difference between "principally responsible" and "fully responsible"?

"Principally responsible" indicates that someone has the main, but not necessarily exclusive, responsibility. "Fully responsible" means they have complete or total responsibility.