liability

noun

ˌlī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce liability (audio)
Definition of liabilitynext
1
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success though his small size is a liability as a football player, he makes up for it with speed

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2
as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right the liability for the accident is held by the person who was driving too fast

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3
as in exposure
the state of being left without shelter or protection against something harmful failure to properly clean the wound could increase your liability to infection

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4
as in likelihood
the quality or state of being likely to occur what's the liability that he'll file a formal complaint if he's refused admission?

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5
as in debt
usually liabilities plural something (as money) which is owed your liabilities total about $200,000

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of liability Futures have long been used for hedging, and the CME contracts and FutureSports may be ways for sponsors, broadcasters, insurers and arena vendors to potentially hedge exposure against assets and liabilities. — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 And that’s rapidly turning concentrated infrastructure from an advantage into a liability—not only for America’s national security, but also for the businesses that own and operate these assets. — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 Lawmakers have introduced new proposals around AI governance and to liability around AI agents. — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026 The financial institution did not admit to the allegations, with the settlement reflecting a compromise without any admission of liability, fault, or wrongdoing. — Chase Jordan october 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for liability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liability
  1. disadvantage
  2. responsibility
  3. exposure
  4. likelihood
  5. debt
  6. handicap
  7. blame
  8. vulnerability
Noun
  • As the lone charter school playing at the highest level of Public League football, Bulls Prep has some disadvantages, such as no true practice field.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • And while youth unemployment has not dramatically spiked yet, executives like TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett have ultimately warned that young workers who fail to adapt to AI could find themselves at a disadvantage.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of disadvantage
Noun
  • At Marriott, 85% of employees say people are given significant responsibility, compared with 64% at a typical European workplace.
    — Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Women’s mental well-being can be at risk due to a variety of factors, including unequal domestic responsibilities and physiological changes during the postpartum period, perimenopause and menopause.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of responsibility
Noun
  • However, the other side of the equation — the potential therapeutic benefits of heat exposure — have received considerably less attention from modern medical science.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Research into how skin responds to ultraviolet radiation highlights the importance of managing sun exposure.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of exposure
Noun
  • Clinicians assigned to see interval likelihood ratios made a correct call 93 out of 100 times, while those seeing a single cutoff got it right 82 times out of 100.
    — Amiran Baduashvili, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Traders priced in a more than 78% likelihood that the central bank keeps rates unchanged at its policy meeting later this month, according to CME's FedWatch tool.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of likelihood
Noun
  • Three weeks into the protest, President Emmanuel Macron's government is struggling to work out how to balance demands for more education spending with the need to rein in public debt.
    — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • If your debt is unmanageable, check with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling to see if a debt management plan might help.
    — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of debt
Noun
  • The driver, Manning said, had been working particularly well, so well that the 10-handicap golfer had just broke 80 for the first time.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The 6,970-yard course is challenging but fair and open enough for all handicaps, from the proper tees, to have a good time.
    — Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of handicap
Noun
  • However, desperate to enjoy all the benefits of her unconventional and self-serving situation, without shouldering any of the blame, Uta proposes that Morio be the donor for Junna’s child, and that all three of them move in together.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • On message boards and on call-in shows, Lewis, who turned 19 late last month, has shouldered much of the blame.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of blame
Noun
  • Either way, Rahimi balances the character’s clear vulnerability with just enough ambiguity about his plans for the school, accentuated through Majidi’s restrained and naturalistic approach.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • And in a war that is as much about economics as explosives, this may be the vulnerability that the Houthis, and Iran, are banking on.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulnerability

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liabilities
liability
liable
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Cite this Entry

“Liability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liability. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on liability

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about liability

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