take less responsibility vs lessen the responsibility

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Take less responsibility' is commonly used when someone wants to reduce the amount of responsibility they have, while 'lessen the responsibility' is more formal and is used when discussing reducing the overall burden of responsibility in a situation.

Last updated: March 31, 2024 • 980 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used when someone wants to reduce the amount of responsibility they have.

"take less responsibility"

This phrase is used when someone wants to decrease the level of responsibility they are currently handling.

Examples:

I need to take less responsibility at work to reduce my stress levels.
She decided to take less responsibility for the project to focus on other tasks.

Show examples from the web [+]

Finally, MEPs warned that the greater sense of safety promoted by this technology may encourage drivers to take less responsibility, and stressed the primary importance of proper training for drivers.
They may be right in some cases, but to admit to them that they are right would offer scope to less well-meaning competitors who, with less responsibility and therefore lower prices, would like to take the markets by storm and expand.
I shall be sent to another convent with less responsibility.
After that I thought I'd do something with a little less responsibility.
Generally reconstitution takes less than 5 minutes.
Asia has no less responsibility than the US and Europe to reverse the climate calamity.
The younger you are, the less responsibilities you have.
The second point is that high charges for some countries must not lead to less responsibility for other countries.
It will take less than 5 minutes from here to the station.
I'm willing to take less to establish a business relationship.
I couldn't take less than 1200.
The whole operation usually takes less than 48 hours.
Serial killers take less delight in their victims' pain than she does.
Don't take less than half the retail asking price.
Generally, dissolution of Kepivance takes less than 5 minutes.
It takes less time for you to travel.
Of course, it could take less time to Japan.
The whole thing should take less than an hour.
It'll take less than 10 min.
Don't take less than a hundred.

Alternatives:

reduce the amount of responsibility
shoulder less responsibility
delegate more tasks
share the responsibility
lighten the load

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in everyday language. It is more formal and is used when discussing reducing the overall burden of responsibility in a situation.

"lessen the responsibility"

This phrase is used in formal contexts to discuss reducing the overall burden of responsibility in a situation.

Examples:

The company decided to lessen the responsibility of the team by hiring more staff.
It is important to lessen the responsibility on one person to avoid burnout.

Show examples from the web [+]

The fact that responsibility for the achievement of the collection target rests with the Member States, rather than the producers, does not lessen the producers' responsibility - quite the contrary.
Takes the view that, in order to fulfil their responsibility to lessen the pollution of the Baltic Sea, Member States should have the right to maintain or introduce more stringent protective measures than those proposed by the EU;
And successive French Governments, on the right as well as on the left, were not even willing to do what the Belgian Government did, namely acknowledge their responsibility for this situation, although obviously that in no way lessens the crushing weight of that responsibility.
Well, I put a cloth over the strings to lessen the noise.
Lessen the fractures of the aimless broken heart.
Of course, but that doesn't lessen the hurt.
Water lessens the force of an explosion.
So it will lessen the psychological trauma.
It's actually surprising how much that lessens the attraction.
Nothing else will solve the problems or lessen the human rights abuses.
Independently of this measure, regular training and organisational measures can also significantly lessen the number of needlestick injuries.
That maturity would lessen the pain.
Furthermore, central bank financing of the public sector lessens the pressure for fiscal discipline.
This approach would lessen the strong likelihood of serious social and/or political consequences.
It lessens the chance of a bad reaction.
The hallucinations, the flights of psychosis actually help lessen the pain and intensity of everyday experience.
I'll lessen the world of an elk.
We thought we could lessen the danger with it under our control.
Anyway, it doesn't lessen the character anything.
And pay her way through college, Which will hopefully lessen the sting.

Alternatives:

reduce the responsibility
diminish the responsibility
lighten the burden of responsibility
decrease the level of responsibility
alleviate the responsibility

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take less responsibility vs lessen the responsibility