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Comment by ice109

8 years ago

absolve not abdicate. you abdicate a throne, you are absolved of responsibility

I didn't look at comments until today, I love that the primary thread I spawned was the semantic differences between absolve and abdicate. I appreciate the criticism, I learned quite a bit about the differences :)

I think people are trying to say abrogate. I've seen this usage a few times lately.

  • That connotes a degree of misfeasance, though - to say one has abrogated a responsibility is to say he has failed to uphold it, where the sense intended here is more one of absolution or relief.

Correct, regarding his usage as a synonym for excuse, forgive or mitigate.

However, you can abdigate a responsibility. One can say for example that the CTO abdigated his responsibility to ensure the production database was protected and backed up.