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Definition responsibility in British English

responsibility noun

noun
/rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti/

▪ abdicate, accept, assume, bear, evade, exercise, fulfil, shirk, shoulder, take

Notice the spelling of responsibility, which is spelled with an ‘i’, not an ‘a’:

✗ Children remain their parents’ responsability until the age of eighteen.

✓ Children remain their parents’ responsibility until the age of eighteen.

✗ Everyone in the team is entrusted with responsabilities.

✓ Everyone in the team is entrusted with responsibilities.

busy, help, problem

1

the state or job of being in charge of someone or something and of making sure that what they do or what happens to them is right or satisfactory

Example

She has a lot of responsibility as a nurse.

Example

Overall responsibility for the school lies with the head teacher.

Example

You will have responsibility for sales and marketing.

Example

Would someone take responsibility for bringing Paul home?

Example

Serrano immediately assumed temporary responsibility for foreign affairs.

Example

People in positions of responsibility cannot behave like this.

Synonyms and related words
2

a duty that you have to do because it is part of your job or position

Example

She is my responsibility, now that her parents are gone.

Example

It is your responsibility to provide us with concrete evidence.

Synonyms and related words
2.1

a moral duty to behave in a particular way

Example

What is the individual's responsibility to others in modern society?

Example

We have a responsibility to our shareholders and to our depositors.

Example

We have a responsibility to make sure this never happens again.

Example

Parenthood brings a huge sense of responsibility.

Synonyms and related words
3

blame for something that has happened

Example

No one claimed responsibility for the attack on the embassy.

Example

Allan has got to take responsibility for the failure of the deal.

Synonyms and related words
Definition responsibility in British English