ultimate responsibility

USAGE SUMMARY

"ultimate responsibility" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to convey the idea that someone is ultimately responsible for the outcome of a particular situation or responsibility. For example: "The manager has ultimate responsibility for the project's success."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Shackleton assumed ultimate responsibility for his team.

The New York Times

I take ultimate responsibility for that.

The Guardian

His government appears to bear ultimate responsibility for the attack.

The New Yorker

The writer's ultimate responsibility is to the truth.

Independent

The man bearing ultimate responsibility for that obscenity is Assad.

The New York Times

But the ultimate responsibility is that of the Pakistan government.

The New York Times

"My ultimate responsibility here is to the consignor".

The New Yorker

And this is why ministers must take ultimate responsibility.

The Guardian - Opinion

The ultimate punishment requires an ultimate responsibility which cannot exist.

The Guardian

James bears the ultimate responsibility for his death.

The Guardian - Opinion

Ultimate responsibility for the station lies with Douglas.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ultimate responsibility" when you want to clearly identify the person or entity that is finally accountable for an outcome, decision, or action. It's especially useful in formal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "ultimate responsibility" when the accountability is genuinely shared among multiple parties. Instead, clarify the specific responsibilities of each party.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ultimate responsibility" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in conveying final accountability, as seen in the examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The analysis confirms that "ultimate responsibility" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed phrase, as supported by Ludwig AI. It serves to designate the final accountability for an outcome, action, or decision. Predominantly found in news, science and formal business contexts, the phrase is best used when clearly defining who is ultimately answerable. While grammatically correct, it should be avoided when accountability is genuinely distributed. Alternatives include "final accountability", "supreme authority", or "chief liability".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utmost responsibility

Emphasizes the highest degree of responsibility.

final accountability

Focuses on the end point of being held accountable.

buck stops here

Idiomatic expression indicating acceptance of ultimate responsibility.

last resort

Indicates that someone is the last one able to take care of something.

chief liability

Highlights legal or financial responsibility.

overriding duty

Stresses the mandatory nature of the responsibility.

supreme authority

Emphasizes the power and control associated with the responsibility.

primary obligation

Highlights the most important duty to perform.

take ownership

Focuses on embracing and accepting accountability.

bear the burden

Emphasizes the weight and challenge of the responsibility.

FAQs

How to use "ultimate responsibility" in a sentence?

You can use "ultimate responsibility" to indicate who is finally accountable for something, as in "The CEO has "ultimate responsibility" for the company's performance."

What can I say instead of "ultimate responsibility"?

You can use alternatives like "final accountability", "chief liability", or "supreme authority" depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "the ultimate responsible"?

No, it's grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is ""ultimate responsibility"", where "ultimate" modifies the noun "responsibility".

What's the difference between "ultimate responsibility" and "primary responsibility"?

"Primary responsibility" refers to the initial or main duty, while ""ultimate responsibility"" refers to the final accountability for the outcome, even if others share the initial duties.