responsibilityre‧spon‧si‧bil‧i‧ty /rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti $ rɪˌspɑːn-/ ●●● S2 W1 noun (plural responsibilities) 
Kelly’s promotion means more money and more responsibility.+for The Minister has responsibility for the National Health Service.with responsibility for something a manager with responsibility for over 100 staffit is somebody’s responsibility to do something It’s your responsibility to inform us of any changes.2[uncountable] blame for something bad that has happened: The firm is denying all responsibility.responsibility for No one wants to take responsibility for the problem. The surgeon accepted full responsibility for the error that led to her death. So far no one has claimed responsibility (=said that they are responsible) for the bombings.3[countable] something that you must do as part of your job or duty: My responsibilities include answering the phone and dealing with customer enquiries.family/professional/parental etc responsibilities a single parent struggling to balance work and family responsibilities4[countable] something that you ought to do because it is morally or socially right SYN dutya responsibility to do something We all have a responsibility to protect the environment. Parents need to encourage a sense of responsibility in their children (=the ability to behave sensibly in a way that will not harm themselves or other people).moral/social/legal etc responsibility The company saw it as part of its social responsibility to provide education for its workers.5responsibility to somebody a duty to help someone because of your work or position in society: A doctor’s first responsibility is to her patients.6do something on your own responsibility formal to do something without being told to do it or officially allowed to do it → diminished responsibilityCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1verbshave responsibility for (doing) something· The Council has responsibility for maintaining the streetlights.take responsibility for (doing) something· Who do you trust to take responsibility for our country's defence?take on responsibility (also assume responsibility formal) (=start to have responsibility for something)· These days men tend to take on more responsibility at home.· The government must assume greater responsibility for the care of the elderly.shoulder responsibility (=agree to start having a difficult or unpleasant duty)· The city, she said, would shoulder responsibility for caring for the children.shirk responsibility (=not accept a duty you should accept)· He doesn't shirk responsibility.exercise responsibility formal (=take action because you have responsibility for something)· The citizens of ancient Athens met here to exercise their responsibility to govern themselves.abdicate responsibility formal (=refuse to have responsibility for something you used to have responsibility for)· The state should not allow parents to abdicate responsibility for their children.the responsibility lies with somebody (=they are responsible for it)· Ultimate responsibility for admissions lies with the Course Co-ordinator.adjectivespersonal responsibility· So far, no one had taken personal responsibility for the project.overall responsibility· The Department of Education has overall responsibility for schools and universities.direct responsibility (=when no other person is involved)· He has direct responsibility for all the programmes on Radio 1.sole responsibility (=not shared with others)· The financial director has sole responsibility for financial matters.collective responsibility (=shared equally by a group of people)· Head teachers should encourage a sense of collective responsibility among teachers.primary responsibility (=most important responsibility)· I have primary responsibility for the children.ultimate responsibility (=responsibility for making a final decision)· The National Assembly will have ultimate responsibility for ensuring that health targets are met.phrasesa burden of responsibility (=a lot of responsibility, that worries you)· Being the only wage earner put a great burden of responsibility on my father.a position of responsibility (=a job in which people depend on you to tell them what they should do)· Before the age of 21 he had attained a position of responsibility in the factory.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2verbsaccept/take responsibility for something· To his credit, he took responsibility for his actions.claim responsibility (for something) (=say that you are responsible for something bad)· No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings.deny responsibility for something· The company denied responsibility for the oil spillage.bear responsibility for something (=be responsible for something bad)· Developed countries must bear much of the responsibility for environmental problems.adjectivesfull responsibility· The airline accepted full responsibility for the crash.personal responsibility· I take personal responsibility for what went wrong.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Having children is a big responsibility and I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.
- I have a bad habit of taking on more responsibilities than I can handle.
- It is a manger's responsibility to set clear expectations for his or her employees.
- Nick has a lot of responsibilities at home.
- The children are your responsibility.
- The house is my responsibility, and I can't just let it fall apart.
- Also, each manager only had shift responsibility and so could not co-ordinate the work across shifts.
- Both of us were fully aware of our responsibilities.
- But being the head means he has to take some responsibility.
- Do the media have a responsibility to make voters care about scandal?
- Professional librarians normally make only policy recommendations to the Library Committee, and this is the limit of their responsibility.
- Typically, managers focus on operating their area of assigned responsibility for efficiency, cost containment, and compliance with delivery schedules.
Longman Language Activatorsomething that is your job or your duty to do
something that you have to do because it is your job or your duty, for example dealing with something or looking after someone: · The house is my responsibility, and I can't just let it fall apart.· Having children is a big responsibility and I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.responsibility to do something: · It is a manager's responsibility to set clear expectations for his or her employees.take on a responsibility (=accept a responsibility): · I have a bad habit of taking on more responsibilities than I can handle.
spoken something that someone is responsible for doing: · I'm not doing the shopping - that's your job.· Agency employees must enforce regulations once they're approved. That's their job. it's somebody's job to do something: · It's my job to make sure all the guests are comfortable.
something that someone is officially, morally, or legally responsible for doing: · I don't give out parking tickets because I like to - it's my duty.it is somebody's duty to do something: · I think it's your duty to tell her what you know.· My duty as a police officer is to find out the facts and communicate them to the proper people.do your duty: · As the families wept openly, the prosecutor urged the jury to do its duty and convict Ballenger.
something difficult or worrying that you are responsible for: · Running the business on my own can be a burden at times.burden of doing something: · The minister has the burden of explaining why he must raise taxes.heavy burden (=a very difficult burden): · She has three children and heavy financial burdens at home.carry a burden (=have that responsibility): · Carrying the burdens of leadership is never an easy task.
to agree to be responsible for something to agree to be responsible for something, especially something that will make you have a lot of work or pressure: take something on: · I'm very busy. I'm afraid I can't take anything else on at the moment.take on something: · Alice always seems willing to take on extra work without complaining.
formal to take responsibility for something that must be done: · The ship's owner has assumed responsibility for cleaning up the oil spill.· It was natural for Richard, as elder son, to assume responsibility for the family.
to agree to take responsibility for something that will be difficult to deal with: shoulder responsibility/debts/the cost/burdens: · The burden of supporting the poor is shouldered mainly by charities.· The company is unwilling to shoulder the cost of installing a daycare center.
when it is someone's job or duty to do something if you are responsible for or have responsibility for doing something, it is your job or your moral or legal duty to do it: · The CEO is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the company.· Why is it in our society that women are primarily responsible for raising children?· The Navy has responsibility for the defense of the island.· The health minister has overall responsibility for Britain's hospitals.
if something is up to you, you are the person who is supposed to do it: · She's done her part of the job. The rest is up to Phillip.it is up to somebody to do something: · It is up to the teacher to keep the class quiet and working hard.
to be the person who controls something and is responsible for it: · Who's in charge of the club's finances?· The UN officer is in charge of coordinating all refugee programs in the region.· The agency in charge of enforcing Mexico's gun laws declined requests for an interview.
/look after British to be responsible for a particular part or area of an organization, process, system etc: · My assistant takes care of all the travel arrangements - you'll have to ask him.· Sally looks after the accounts, and I'm in charge of the building itself.
if the onus is on someone to do something important or to make sure that something important is done, it is their responsibility to do it, without waiting to be helped or told to do it: · The onus of restarting the economy is on the government.the onus is on sb to do something: · The onus is on the taxpayer to make sure they pay enough tax.· At university the onus is on you to work hard - no one is going to force you.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1verbs Whoever they appoint will assume responsibility for all financial matters. our collective responsibility for the environment The trustees failed to discharge their duties properly. Martin disclaimed any responsibility for his son’s actions. You can’t go on evading your responsibilities in this way. She was given absolute control over all recruitment decisions. Part of the blame must lie with social services. parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children He’s the kind of man who makes things happen but lets others take the credit. I’m turning the project over to you.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· The Council has responsibility for maintaining the streetlights.
· Who do you trust to take responsibility for our country's defence?
(also assume responsibility formal) (=start to have responsibility for something)· These days men tend to take on more responsibility at home.· The government must assume greater responsibility for the care of the elderly.
(=agree to start having a difficult or unpleasant duty)· The city, she said, would shoulder responsibility for caring for the children.
(=not accept a duty you should accept)· He doesn't shirk responsibility.
formal (=take action because you have responsibility for something)· The citizens of ancient Athens met here to exercise their responsibility to govern themselves.
formal (=refuse to have responsibility for something you used to have responsibility for)· The state should not allow parents to abdicate responsibility for their children.
(=they are responsible for it)· Ultimate responsibility for admissions lies with the Course Co-ordinator.
adjectives· So far, no one had taken personal responsibility for the project.
· The Department of Education has overall responsibility for schools and universities.
(=when no other person is involved)· He has direct responsibility for all the programmes on Radio 1.
(=not shared with others)· The financial director has sole responsibility for financial matters.
(=shared equally by a group of people)· Head teachers should encourage a sense of collective responsibility among teachers.
(=most important responsibility)· I have primary responsibility for the children.
(=responsibility for making a final decision)· The National Assembly will have ultimate responsibility for ensuring that health targets are met.
phrases (=a lot of responsibility, that worries you)· Being the only wage earner put a great burden of responsibility on my father.
(=a job in which people depend on you to tell them what they should do)· Before the age of 21 he had attained a position of responsibility in the factory.
Meaning 2verbs· To his credit, he took responsibility for his actions.
(=say that you are responsible for something bad)· No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings.
· The company denied responsibility for the oil spillage.
(=be responsible for something bad)· Developed countries must bear much of the responsibility for environmental problems.
adjectives· The airline accepted full responsibility for the crash.
· I take personal responsibility for what went wrong.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Whoever they appoint will assume responsibility for all financial matters.· He felt unable to cope with the burden of responsibility.
· She carried out her duties very efficiently.
· She carried out her duties very efficiently.
(=say that you are responsible for something bad)· Following the attack, a man phoned a newspaper claiming responsibility.
our collective responsibility for the environment The trustees failed to discharge their duties properly. Martin disclaimed any responsibility for his son’s actions.· It can be hard to balance your work and your domestic responsibilities.
You can’t go on evading your responsibilities in this way. She was given absolute control over all recruitment decisions. Part of the blame must lie with social services.· Did you hold any positions of responsibility at school or university?
(=a feeling that you must do something because it is right)· Parents try to give their children a sense of responsibility.
parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children· The coach shoulders the responsibility for winning and losing.
· She has the sole responsibility for a large family.
He’s the kind of man who makes things happen but lets others take the credit. I’m turning the project over to you.· These are examples of collective responsibility for past wrongs.· Liberation has turned sour producing anomie and alienation, severely undermining any sense of collective responsibility or response.· Fighting against threats to young children's rights to early childhood opportunities could be seen as an expression of legitimate collective responsibility.· In so far as leaks advertise unhappiness about a line of policy they undermine the principle of collective responsibility, as well as the confidentiality of proceedings.· Civil servants are instructed to safeguard the collective responsibility of ministers.· The courts have not been given a mandate to spell out collective responsibilities, and even less to police them.· Even conventions that are well established in principle such as those relating to cabinet collective responsibility may be vague in their application.· A moral climate has been created in which collective responsibility has become unfashionable.
· They are at a disadvantage in the job market because of lower education and training levels, cultural prejudice and domestic responsibilities.· Union consciousness and the activists Conventional wisdom attributes women's low participation in union affairs largely to domestic responsibilities.· The attitude of employers to domestic responsibilities is of considerable importance and highly variable.· Working in prisons, with the need for round-the-clock supervision poses particular problems for women who also carry traditional domestic responsibilities.· In the next chapter we show that taking part-time work usually leads to an increase in domestic responsibility.· In the past many health authorities discriminated unfairly by not employing those who may have had domestic responsibilities.· The interviews update employment histories and focus on domestic activities, responsibilities and attitudes towards the performance of household tasks.· Financial difficulties and childcare / domestic responsibilities, have been shown in other research on participation to be fundamental barriers.
· Another Board colleague,, has taken full time responsibility for quality, safety, health and the environment.· My insisting that you own full responsibility has absolutely nothing to do with gender at all.· Yes, we accept full responsibility for the quality of the holidays we provide.· I accept full responsibility for the jury verdict.· Company staff will begin moving into Topcliffe in April, assuming full responsibility for the operation from July.· When I turned twenty, I decided to take full responsibility for myself.· His expression was stern, full of protective responsibility.· You must also take full responsibility for your choice of components and their suitability for the job.
· But the government is committed to the notion of care by the community and wants families to take on greater responsibilities.· Some should be delegated a great deal of responsibility and others should not.· So we felt a great weight of responsibility.· He seemed to realize the full import of the consequences and the great responsibility of his position.· With the opting-out opportunity, schools will have greater responsibility and liberty than under local authorities.· A great responsibility, therefore, rests upon the tutor.· You have much greater freedom of choice how you spend your time -but that freedom also confers greater responsibility on you.· One member of the group might seek participation and greater responsibility, whereas another might want to be told what to do.
· Is there a clear understanding of joint and individual areas of responsibility of headteacher and governors?· How to align individual roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities with functional and / or organization-wide performance objectives 7.· However, this does not relieve the individual from responsibility.· But it also diminishes individual responsibilities and all but guarantees that organizational performance will remain consistently low.· People who otherwise consider individual responsibility the pinnacle of virtue seem unable to perceive an individual responsibility to protect an endangered planet.· Corporate executives also have an individual responsibility not to ignore widespread epidemics created by their products.· We talk of the individual consumer, individual professional responsibilities, individual responsibilities within the family, and so on.· Clinton emphasized the spirit of community and Watts stressed individual responsibility.
· The child, however, is a minor, the legal responsibility of his/her parents or guardians.· Each participating State will provide controls to ensure that such authorities fulfil their constitutional and legal responsibilities.· We can not however guarantee it and we can not accept legal responsibility for it.· What legal responsibilities does the school board have in the bargaining process?· Sons carried this legal responsibility throughout their lives; daughters relinquished it when they married.· His legal responsibilities for issues such as extradition have also brought him into contact with senior legal and political figures in Ireland.· The exodus comes as governors acquire legal responsibilities for the running of schools as a result of the Government's education reforms.· Adoption Adoption involves the legal transfer of responsibility for a child from its natural parents.
· Put briefly, there developed an idea of the pervasive religious and moral responsibility of the ruler.· Worse, it attributes moral agency and responsibility to this distinct entity.· These ties bear hardest on those who tend to accept moral responsibility for caring roles.· This meant that man has an inescapable moral responsibility for his own actions.· The real priority was a greater stress on moral responsibility in the education of the sons of the upper class.· Philosophers and psychologists alike have eroded all our old assumptions of free will and moral responsibility.· We are interested now in the question of moral responsibility.· The company accepted moral responsibility for the disaster, but claimed that the plant was sabotaged by a disgruntled employee.
· Azed's new department is headed by Thomas Egger, who will have overall responsibility for buying, marketing and sales.· Mr Treuting will have overall responsibility for the growth and profitability of Verio's operations in the Southeast business market.· In this respect Ramsay Spence was given overall responsibility for quality, health, safety and environmental matters during the year.· Usually the baby has one nurse with overall responsibility for primary care and then a designated primary nurse for each shift.· He or she is the chief executive with overall responsibility for running the institution.· The general manager has overall responsibility for the operation of the hotel.· Government chief executives, like their counterparts in the private sector, have overall responsibility for how their organizations perform.
· It calls for expanding family and medical leave, but also touches on criticism of violence in entertainment, and parental responsibility.· Accommodation may be offered even if there is a person with parental responsibility able to provide accommodation for the child.· When a parent hands over the child, he or she loses parental oversight and responsibility.· This includes an unmarried father whether or not he has parental responsibility.· Where the application is made on behalf of a parent or person with parental responsibility one form is sufficient.· When advising an unmarried father it is important to note that party status is based on parental responsibility and not paternity.· The father applied for parental responsibility, residence and contact.
· The iron hand of the Conservative administration's first 5 years gave way to sermons on personal responsibility.· Our best hope is to reclaim personal responsibility for our civilization.· We know that you can understand all you like but in the end offenders must face their personal responsibility.· They also need to display such personal qualities as responsibility, integrity, and honesty.· Their daily routines are starting to reflect their preferences and abilities and to include a level of personal responsibility.· The corollary is that acquiring an addiction is tantamount to relieving oneself of personal responsibility.· The scope of personal responsibility expands and contracts in inverse proportion to the extent of the protected interests.· I wish the church would begin emphasizing personal responsibility more.
· The editor's primary responsibility would be the tedious business of bringing the paper out every week.· Otherwise, recognize that some one has to take primary responsibility for this issue, and proceed accordingly.· We would thus have primary responsibility to ensure that the advertisement is factually accurate.· They should speak to as many managers as they can about what the managerial role entails: What are your primary responsibilities?· But he bears primary responsibility for tax and economic policies that lost Labour the election.· He must bear primary responsibility for the chaos that descended upon the White House when such disclosure did occur.· Parliament has chosen to discharge this function by placing primary responsibility upon a scrutiny committee formed especially for the purpose.· They did not want the new managers to infringe on their job as doer with primary responsibility for the task.
· We talk of the individual consumer, individual professional responsibilities, individual responsibilities within the family, and so on.· Will we display more of the statesmanship, selflessness, and disregard for monetary advantage associated with public service and professional responsibility?· It is aimed at both local authorities and librarians to remind them of the professional responsibilities of librarians.· Graduates, after all, pass into society and take up significant posts of managerial or professional responsibility.· Schools have a professional responsibility to offer guidance to young people in transition to work.· To feel good about myself is my top professional responsibility.
· However, the concept of social responsibility and service is of limited use in developing a radical social movement.· They are emotionally unable to take charge of their social and work responsibilities.· There is a separation between science and ethics, between technology and social responsibility.· Within the firm and out, Raven has been a force for enhancing social responsibility within the law.· None of these third-tier authorities have significant social policy responsibilities, so they will not be examined further here.· Not a week goes by without a Bush speech on health, education, pensions or social responsibility.· But is it not desirable to encourage authors to recognise their social responsibility?· The fourth type of press theory put forward is that of social responsibility.
· From the moment you take the big glass off my hands you will have the sole responsibility for it.· The federal government has sole responsibility to enforce immigration laws, including the prevention of illegal entries into the United States.· What I mean is, women are vulnerable when they are housewives because they also have sole responsibility for childcare at home.· Education is not considered the sole responsibility of the schools.· The Church is still beset by those who believe that its ministry is the sole responsibility of the clergy.· She's matched with a somewhat feckless husband and has the sole responsibility for a large family.· But the important decisions ... well, it stands to reason that these would be the sole responsibility of the man.
· The executive has a number of committees and policy groups that take on special responsibilities.· In many societies the father has no special responsibility to support the specific children he sires.· At the Confirmation Mass each of us had our special responsibility as musician, reader or at the preparation of the gifts.· I had no such special personal responsibility.· And this places a very special responsibility on education systems the world over.· Mike Wilding, is a software analyst at Atari with special responsibility for combating piracy.· As the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States has a special responsibility to act.
VERB· But this made the Department and ministers once again vulnerable to charges of abdicating their responsibilities for financial and policy goals.· When governments abdicate this steering responsibility, disaster often follows.· This is not a reason why district ethics committees should yield to pressure to abdicate their responsibilities to local citizens.· It worked in a few places, but most governments abdicated their steering responsibilities.· If the court took this view, it would be abdicating its responsibility.· President Kennedy assured Wallace that federal troops would be used only if the state abdicated its responsibilities.· By invoking testosterone a man can abdicate responsibility for his own behaviour.· Orkney Islands Council abdicated all responsibility to its social work department: my children were made to suffer accordingly.
· Recent reorganisations have been strongly influenced by discussions about the appropriate size that would enable a local authority to accept particular responsibilities.· Administrators offered vague explanations but would not accept responsibility.· Ministers must accept our responsibility for decisions.· Anyway, I accepted responsibility and apologized and expressed deep remorse.· Many subcontractors are unwilling to accept the responsibility and initial liability of training apprentices.· And Mayleas has accepted the responsibility of finding the money.· But the Government had to face the realities and accept responsibilities, he said.· The Independent Labour Party was thus forced to accept full responsibility for continuing the dispute.
· If they fail will they assume responsibility for the failure or blame some one else?· Finally, the center assumed the responsibility for a modest technological support component.· As head of CI5, Cowley had assumed the responsibility for the protection of the Colonel, a guest in the country.· But you know already that I am not the sort to assume responsibility for my inconsistencies.· The government itself became larger and more concentrated in its operation as it assumed increasing responsibilities in areas such as education and defence.· His refusal to talk to the media is but the latest example of his disinterest in assuming any leadership responsibilities.· The new company assumes responsibility for the profitable development of these sites and any future surplus land.· As the supervisor moves into a coordination role, employees assume even more responsibility for problem resolution and daily operations.
· Whoever bears the responsibility, the domination of local government by party politics is now almost complete.· Wallace probably knew he could not prevent intervention and wanted the national government to bear the responsibility.· The Government's inefficiency bears the whole responsibility.· It was hard to tell which side bore more responsibility for the disorders, the police or the rioters.· It was as though she were dead and he bore the responsibility for killing her.· But he bears the responsibility for hiring Livingstone in the first place instead of a career security official.· He must bear primary responsibility for the chaos that descended upon the White House when such disclosure did occur.· It protects me from bearing any responsibility for my decisions and actions.
· Some critics have considered it to be too weak and idiosyncratic to carry responsibility for major public and social services.· Television licenses do have great value and they should carry responsibilities.· Some religious have moved into smaller communities whilst carrying the responsibility for caring for their own elderly and sick brothers and sisters.· But your right to a proper education for your children carries a double responsibility.· This would carry with it a responsibility on their part to help devise the tests, or at least to scrutinize their content.· We must all believe in the future and strive harder to carry out our responsibilities.· They are irrelevant except as witnesses of the power and to carry joint responsibility for what has been decided without their help.
· The unit had claimed responsibility for the assassination of over 300 troops, policemen and government officials since 1984.· Too many people claim that our only responsibility is to our shareholders.· The Red Hand Defenders also claimed responsibility.· No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, the spokesman said.· The Unita rebel movement claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the train was carrying munitions and was a legitimate target.· No one has claimed responsibility for the devices, which were contained in musical holiday cards.· It had also claimed responsibility for blasts near the presidential palace and government buildings last month.· Authorities said no group has claimed responsibility.
· All records were to be available to Cardiff city council to allow it to discharge its statutory responsibilities.· Ways in which the authority can discharge its responsibilities for standard setting for all aspects of care will also require attention.· There seemed to be no incompatibility between building a welfare state at home and discharging the responsibilities of a great power abroad.· The question is whether he can discharge that responsibility to Parliament without being in day-to-day charge.· I discharged my responsibility at the court, and that is that.
· His responsibility is to ensure that a particular package has achieved the quality standards set by the project which is using it.· The clinical teacher also has a responsibility to ensure that a high standard of nursing care is given to the patient.· It is our responsibility to ensure defendants are fairly prosecuted, and that has also happened.· It is your responsibility to ensure that the data is correct.· States have the responsibility for ensuring teacher competence, and state statutes generally set out standards for teacher certification.· Their responsibility is to ensure that articles are forwarded for consideration by the editorial committee for inclusion in the newsletter.· We have to recognize that it is our responsibility to ensure that the natural fears and concerns that people have are allayed.
· I know many women who would give their eye teeth to be married to him and I feel that responsibility.· I feel honored and I feel a little responsibility, too.· How do you feel about taking on responsibility?· One can feel responsibility without feeling love, otherwise the world would be uninhabited.· You just felt so much responsibility for all these people, who had loved you and followed you all these years.· It won't be altogether a lie, I feel a responsibility towards him that I don't really understand.· That is how strongly she felt about her responsibility to produce a male heir to the Kang clan.
· She was given the special responsibility of taking care of me, and I owe her my life.· Each team was given unambiguous achievement responsibility, commensurate authority, and uncluttered accountability.· The TECs are given the responsibility.· As for the states, Congress is going to give them more responsibilities but provide less oversight and money.· The C. and A. G. is given the responsibility for auditing all appropriation accounts by the 1921 Act.· If you give all the kids responsibility, maybe they will do better.· Most want to feel they can give responsibility to one contract.· The federal government must give direction and accept responsibility.
· All responsibility now lay with the West.· Especially Phagu, on whom responsibility lay like a cement overcoat.· Mr. Robert Hughes Is the hon. Member aware that the companies argue that responsibility lies not with them but with their contractors?· The day-to-day responsibility for each agency lies with a chief executive.· The responsibility had lain so heavily that it took some time to readjust.· Conflicting official versions of the circumstances of the assassination fed doubts as to where ultimate responsibility lay.· The Communist Party's paralysis is one factor, but the prime responsibility lies with Labour's manic political caution.· The reasons behind it, however, and the related issue of where responsibility lies, have still not been entirely explained.
· The four students and the staff work out the running of the household between them and share the responsibilities.· Managers and supervisors will no longer make hiring decisions or, at a minimum, will share such decision-making responsibilities.· Rates Rates have their origin in attempts to share responsibility fairly among local residents for services provided in common.· Elers and Bayer will share the responsibilities of chief executive.· They shared their responsibilities for the smooth running of Zone I with the enthusiasm of those bound by a loveless marriage.· Workplace 2000 emphasizes shared responsibility for group performance.· Dan Mulligan, a San Francisco lawyer who specializes in handling lending and foreclosure cases, agreed that homeowners shared responsibility.· Cook County shares responsibility with the city for providing health services.
· No one can shift responsibility on to others or trade off their resources.· Penney also shifted the responsibilities and titles of several other executives in different regions.· But the move to shift legal responsibility for correct labelling on to the shopkeeper has shocked trade organisations.· That has been changing, with contracts shifting a growing responsibility for premiums and / or costs to workers.· Regretfully traditional inspection often shifts the focus of responsibility for the quality of performance away from the person carrying out the work.
· At the same time they are told they must shoulder bigger world responsibilities.· Monika is now taking legal advice in a bid to force the missing priest to shoulder his responsibilities.· The capacity of the fourteen divisions to shoulder this responsibility, and the load placed on each division both varied enormously.· I think everyone has got to shoulder the responsibility for defeat, not just Graham.· Meanwhile Ras Tafari stood alone, shouldering full responsibility without real power, and uncertain whom he could trust.· He failed to shoulder the responsibility, which Government should shoulder, for imposing the tax in the first place.· In some respects, young people have gained greater autonomy and are expected to shoulder adult responsibilities at ever younger ages.
· How long will he take on the responsibility of a wife who is blind and helpless?· I no longer take responsibility for anything that happens in my life, good or bad.· The executive has a number of committees and policy groups that take on special responsibilities.· Speakers urge the crowd to take responsibility for their own lives, families and communities. 18 -- Sen.· On appointment to office a new minister will take over responsibility for many departmental policies.· The A Section took over responsibility for the diplomatic and clandestine material and for the production of the Magic Summary.· They also take the primary responsibility for the care of children.· The disappearance of predictable career paths means that all employees have to take more responsibility for planning their own careers.
· Lord Bullock further suggests that he may even have been reluctant to transfer this particular responsibility to the United States.· The innovation of transferring responsibility to an indigenous anti-Communist corps had been started too late.· Managers are frequently willing to transfer responsibility for performing certain tasks, particularly under supervision.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► responsibility to somebodyPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- I discussed the matter with John Montgomerie and on my own responsibility decided to telephone Harold Wilson to seek his advice.
- By invoking testosterone a man can abdicate responsibility for his own behaviour.
- All you can do in such cases is accept responsibility for the emotions you feel when you are around such people.
- Governors need to inform themselves thoroughly about the current state of the school building before they accept responsibility for it.
- If people are to accept responsibility for outcomes, they will insist upon being substantively included in the decision process.
- May we learn to accept responsibility for our own actions and inactions and for our mistakes as well as for our success.
- One central committee member, Ognjen Krstulovic, resigned because he could not accept responsibility for the implementation of the policy.
- People in a position of influence could accept responsibility for implementing the results.
- These must be obtained personally and we can not accept responsibility for them.
- You have to accept responsibility for the fruits of your actions, in the scientific field as elsewhere.
- As a principal, he assumes responsibility for the performance of the entire transportation contract.
- But you know already that I am not the sort to assume responsibility for my inconsistencies.
- Given a chance to assume responsibility, many do.
- In 1991 it assumed responsibility for its own catering, with total revenue increasing by 60 percent partly as a result.
- It was still unclear last night, however, which party would assume control of the House.
- Then on 13 January 1972 the army dismissed Busia; a group of officers led by Colonel Acheampong assumed control.
- Virgin Trains says it would be prepared to assume responsibility for the state of the track over which its trains run.
- Zajedno leaders say they will assume control of Nis city hall next Monday.
- A third means of avoiding responsibility consists of shifting the blame to even higher officials.
- He had to shift the blame, find a sacrificial victim.
- Her comments on Radio Derby came as Tories tried to shift the blame for Britain's economic ills elsewhere.
- In other words that they were shifting the blame.
- It shifts the blame to belief.
- Leaving the abusive marriage, or divorcing him, will be branded desertion or a sin, shifting the blame to her.
- Penney also shifted the responsibilities and titles of several other executives in different regions.
- Time after time, ministers have tried to shift the blame for rising unemployment to the down-turn in the world economy.
- After the publicists, casting directors began to shoulder the burden.
- He failed to shoulder the responsibility, which Government should shoulder, for imposing the tax in the first place.
- I think everyone has got to shoulder the responsibility for defeat, not just Graham.
- It does indeed make those who require nursing care through no fault of their own shoulder the cost.
- Voice over Swindon is one of the eighties boom towns which has had to shoulder the burden of recession.
- Why, he asked, should the taxpayer shoulder the burden of expropriation?
- In order to transfer control to a new sequence of instructions, a new value must be deposited in the program counter.
- Managers are frequently willing to transfer responsibility for performing certain tasks, particularly under supervision.
- Pairs of jump instructions were provided to transfer control to the left- or right-hand instruction of a specified store location.
- The innovation of transferring responsibility to an indigenous anti-Communist corps had been started too late.
- They also achieve another prime objective of Conservative Governments, which is to transfer power from the state to the people.
- Yet he is ahead of many heavily funded university labs in attempting to transfer control from humans to machines.
WORD FAMILYnounresponsibility ≠ irresponsibilityadjectiveresponsible ≠ irresponsibleadverbresponsibly ≠ irresponsibly
1[uncountable] a duty to be in charge of someone or something, so that you make decisions and can be blamed if something bad happens: Kelly’s promotion means more money and more responsibility.+for The Minister has responsibility for the National Health Service.with responsibility for something a manager with responsibility for over 100 staffit is somebody’s responsibility to do something It’s your responsibility to inform us of any changes.2[uncountable] blame for something bad that has happened: The firm is denying all responsibility.responsibility for No one wants to take responsibility for the problem. The surgeon accepted full responsibility for the error that led to her death. So far no one has claimed responsibility (=said that they are responsible) for the bombings.3[countable] something that you must do as part of your job or duty: My responsibilities include answering the phone and dealing with customer enquiries.family/professional/parental etc responsibilities a single parent struggling to balance work and family responsibilities4[countable] something that you ought to do because it is morally or socially right SYN dutya responsibility to do something We all have a responsibility to protect the environment. Parents need to encourage a sense of responsibility in their children (=the ability to behave sensibly in a way that will not harm themselves or other people).moral/social/legal etc responsibility The company saw it as part of its social responsibility to provide education for its workers.5responsibility to somebody a duty to help someone because of your work or position in society: A doctor’s first responsibility is to her patients.6do something on your own responsibility formal to do something without being told to do it or officially allowed to do it → diminished responsibilityCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1verbshave responsibility for (doing) something· The Council has responsibility for maintaining the streetlights.take responsibility for (doing) something· Who do you trust to take responsibility for our country's defence?take on responsibility (also assume responsibility formal) (=start to have responsibility for something)· These days men tend to take on more responsibility at home.· The government must assume greater responsibility for the care of the elderly.shoulder responsibility (=agree to start having a difficult or unpleasant duty)· The city, she said, would shoulder responsibility for caring for the children.shirk responsibility (=not accept a duty you should accept)· He doesn't shirk responsibility.exercise responsibility formal (=take action because you have responsibility for something)· The citizens of ancient Athens met here to exercise their responsibility to govern themselves.abdicate responsibility formal (=refuse to have responsibility for something you used to have responsibility for)· The state should not allow parents to abdicate responsibility for their children.the responsibility lies with somebody (=they are responsible for it)· Ultimate responsibility for admissions lies with the Course Co-ordinator.adjectivespersonal responsibility· So far, no one had taken personal responsibility for the project.overall responsibility· The Department of Education has overall responsibility for schools and universities.direct responsibility (=when no other person is involved)· He has direct responsibility for all the programmes on Radio 1.sole responsibility (=not shared with others)· The financial director has sole responsibility for financial matters.collective responsibility (=shared equally by a group of people)· Head teachers should encourage a sense of collective responsibility among teachers.primary responsibility (=most important responsibility)· I have primary responsibility for the children.ultimate responsibility (=responsibility for making a final decision)· The National Assembly will have ultimate responsibility for ensuring that health targets are met.phrasesa burden of responsibility (=a lot of responsibility, that worries you)· Being the only wage earner put a great burden of responsibility on my father.a position of responsibility (=a job in which people depend on you to tell them what they should do)· Before the age of 21 he had attained a position of responsibility in the factory.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2verbsaccept/take responsibility for something· To his credit, he took responsibility for his actions.claim responsibility (for something) (=say that you are responsible for something bad)· No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings.deny responsibility for something· The company denied responsibility for the oil spillage.bear responsibility for something (=be responsible for something bad)· Developed countries must bear much of the responsibility for environmental problems.adjectivesfull responsibility· The airline accepted full responsibility for the crash.personal responsibility· I take personal responsibility for what went wrong.