Responsabiliti

Responsabiliti is a term used in several languages to refer to duties, obligations, and the tasks that someone is expected to perform. It describes what an individual or organization must do and what they are responsible for in a given role, relationship, or context. The concept appears across ethics, law, governance, and everyday life, shaping expectations about behavior and performance.

Etymology and usage vary by language. The idea derives from Latin roots related to answering or responding and has entered many languages through different routes. In Romanian, the plural form is responsabilități; in Italian, responsabilità; in French, responsabilité; in Spanish, responsabilidad; in English, responsibility. When the unaccented form responsabiliti appears, it is often seen in informal writing or as a stylized version of the word in non-native contexts. Despite orthographic variations, the core notion remains the same: duties and the duty to account for them.

In practice, responsibilities are the specific tasks and obligations assigned to a person or group. Accountability is closely related but distinct: it is the obligation to explain and justify outcomes, usually to a higher authority or stakeholders. Liability refers to legal responsibility for actions or consequences. Clear delineation of responsibilities helps organizations assign work, avoid overlap, and improve performance. Tools such as responsibility matrices (for example, RACI, which designates who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) are commonly used to formalize expectations.

See also responsibility, accountability, liability, corporate governance, and ethical obligations.