to take it upon oneself
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To make oneself responsible (perhaps unwarrantably) to assume control.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to take it upon oneself” mean?
To make oneself responsible (perhaps unwarrantably) to assume control.
Is “to take it upon oneself” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.