| abdicate |
to refuse to fulfill (a responsibility or the like). [1/3 definitions] |
| absolve |
to release from obligation or responsibility. [1/3 definitions] |
| adopt |
to become by law a parent of (a child who is not one's own offspring), or to accept responsibility for an animal as a pet. [1/3 definitions] |
| available |
qualified and willing to serve, take part in something, or take on a responsibility. [1/2 definitions] |
| be up to |
to be the rightful choice or responsibility of; to be dependent on (someone or something). |
| blame |
to place responsibility on for a mistake or fault. [3/5 definitions] |
| buck4 |
an object such as a buckhorn knife that was formerly placed before a player in a poker game to indicate the responsibility to deal. |
| buck-passer |
(informal) a person who tends to shift responsibility to somebody else. |
| burden1 |
responsibility. [1/3 definitions] |
| burden of proof |
the responsibility, esp. in law, of disproving an allegation or charge, or proving something that has been asserted. |
| carefree |
having no concerns or responsibility; without worry; lighthearted. |
| cashier2 |
to dismiss from a position of trust or responsibility, esp. for serious breach of duty. |
| charge |
to give (someone) a responsibility or duty. [2/22 definitions] |
| civic responsibility |
a particular responsibility or duty deemed an important aspect of being a productive and contributing citizen of a community or country. Ideas about what constitutes one's civic responsibilities vary but often include such things as obeying laws, voting in elections, respecting the rights of others, and performing public service. |
| clean-handed |
free of responsibility or guilt; blameless. |
| collegial |
with authority and responsibility shared equally among colleagues. [1/2 definitions] |
| Confucianism |
the ethical teachings of Confucius, which emphasize reverence for ancestors, devotion to family and friends, cultivation and discipline of the mind, and social responsibility. |
| cop out |
(informal) to avoid facing a responsibility or fulfilling a promise, esp. in a cowardly way. |
| cop-out |
(informal) an instance or act of evading responsibility or not fulfilling a promise. |
| cover |
to take over the responsibility of (something) for another. [2/21 definitions] |
| cui bono |
the legal principle that the responsibility for a certain act is likely to lie with one who had something to gain as a result of that act. [1/2 definitions] |