take it upon oneself

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

take it upon oneself (third-person singular simple present takes it upon oneself, present participle taking it upon oneself, simple past took it upon oneself, past participle taken it upon oneself)

1. (idiomatic) To assume personal responsibility for a task or action.

   She took it upon herself to manage the project.

   • September 8 2022, Stephen Bates, “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     The home secretary of the day, the bumptious Sir William Joynson-Hicks, took it upon himself to attend the house, a formality dating from the 17th century to ensure no impostors were substituted, ostensibly to ensure all was well, and he proclaimed the news publicly, even though the government was then in mid-crisis over the forthcoming general strike.

Usage notes

• Sometimes used in a critical sense, where a person has unilaterally decided to do something undesirable.

See also

• take upon oneself