shared blame

USAGE SUMMARY

"shared blame" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing situations where multiple parties are responsible for a fault or mistake. Example: "In the aftermath of the incident, both teams accepted their shared blame." Alternative expressions include "joint responsibility" and "mutual fault."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

24 human-written examples

MetalDad added: It's not a yes or no question - it's one of shared blame.

The Guardian - Sport

That finding says that BP shared blame with Transocean for having misread pressure tests that foreshadowed the explosion.

The New York Times

Gulam Rasoul, a retired police officer who lives near the newly reopened temple, said both sides shared blame.

The New York Times

Tried but failed to describe circumstances in a fashion that maturely shared blame between him and his ex-wife.

The New Yorker

He said both sides in the conflict shared blame, but the Saudi-led air campaign was responsible for most of the deaths.

The Guardian

Halliburton, based in Houston, has said in court papers that its cementing-services contract requires BP to indemnify it from all damage claims, even if its employees were found to have shared blame for the disaster.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

All Italian political leaders share blame for the country's mess.

The New York Times

"There are no excuses nor is there need to share blame," he wrote.

The New York Times

Many relatives of nursing-home residents say both sides share blame for the dispute.

The New York Times

Kreisky said editorial too should share blame for Time Inc's problems.

The Guardian

Ms. Gubareva, a citizen of Kazakhstan, said the Russians should share blame for the tragedy.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "shared blame", clearly identify all parties involved and their specific contributions to the situation. This avoids ambiguity and ensures accountability.

Common error

Avoid using "shared blame" as a way to diffuse responsibility entirely. Even when blame is shared, it's important to specify the degree to which each party contributed to the issue, rather than masking individual accountability.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "shared blame" functions as a noun phrase, typically used as the object of a verb or preposition. It signifies that responsibility for a negative outcome is not attributed to a single entity, aligning with examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Encyclopedias

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

1%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "shared blame" is a commonly used phrase to indicate that responsibility for a fault or negative outcome is distributed among multiple parties. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and is most frequently found in News & Media sources, encyclopedias, and wikis. While semantically similar alternatives such as "joint culpability" and "collective responsibility" exist, the specific choice depends on the context and desired level of formality. When using "shared blame", it is important to clearly identify the responsible parties and their contributions to avoid vagueness and ensure accountability. Though widely applicable, one must avoid diffusing responsibility entirely by specifying the extent of each party's involvement. Given its broad usage and clear meaning, "shared blame" is a valuable term for expressing distributed accountability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

joint culpability

Stresses the shared guilt or wrongdoing.

collective responsibility

Emphasizes that a group as a whole is accountable.

collective fault

Emphasizes the responsibility of the group.

mutual accountability

Highlights that each party is responsible to the others.

common fault

Indicates a fault that is present among several parties.

distributed fault

Focuses on the allocation of fault among multiple actors.

divided responsibility

Highlights the separation of different aspects of responsibility.

overlapping responsibility

Emphasizes that more than one part is responsible for a matter.

contributory negligence

Used in legal contexts, referring to negligence on the part of multiple parties.

pooled liability

Highlights how responsibility is divided among parties.

FAQs

How can I use "shared blame" in a sentence?

You can use "shared blame" to indicate that multiple parties contributed to a negative outcome. For example, "The investigation revealed that both the company and its suppliers "shared blame" for the product defect."

What is a more formal alternative to "shared blame"?

In formal contexts, you might use phrases like "joint culpability" or "collective responsibility" to convey a similar meaning with a more professional tone.

Is it appropriate to use "shared blame" in legal contexts?

While "shared blame" is understandable, legal contexts often require more precise language. Terms like "contributory negligence" or "comparative fault" are more commonly used to describe how responsibility is allocated in legal cases.

What's the difference between "shared blame" and "sole responsibility"?

"Shared blame" implies that multiple parties contributed to an issue, whereas "sole responsibility" indicates that only one party is accountable. For example, if a project fails due to poor planning and execution by multiple team members, they might "share the blame". However, if the failure is solely due to the project manager's decisions, the manager bears sole responsibility.