liable

adjective

li·​a·​ble ˈlī-ə-bəl 

especially in sense 2 often

ˈlī-bəl 

1

a

: obligated according to law or equity (see equity sense 3) : responsible

Both owners are liable for the debts incurred by the business.

b

: subject to appropriation or attachment

All his property is liable to pay his debts.

2

a

: being in a position to incur

—used with to

liable to a fine

b

: exposed or subject to some usually adverse contingency or action

Watch out or you're liable to fall.

Liable vs. Apt: Usage Guide

Both liable and apt when followed by an infinitive are used nearly interchangeably with likely. Although conflicting advice has been given over the years, most current commentators accept apt when so used. They generally recommend limiting liable to situations having an undesirable outcome, and our evidence shows that in edited writing it is more often so used than not.

Synonyms

• endangered
• exposed
• open
• sensitive
• subject (to)
• susceptible
• vulnerable

Choose the Right Synonym for liable

liable, open, exposed, subject, prone, susceptible, sensitive mean being by nature or through circumstances likely to experience something adverse.

liable implies a possibility or probability of incurring something because of position, nature, or particular situation.

liable to get lost

open stresses a lack of barriers preventing incurrence.

a claim open to question

exposed suggests lack of protection or powers of resistance against something actually present or threatening.

exposed to infection

subject implies an openness for any reason to something that must be suffered or undergone.

all reports are subject to review

prone stresses natural tendency or propensity to incur something.

prone to delay

susceptible implies conditions existing in one's nature or individual constitution that make incurrence probable.

very susceptible to flattery

sensitive implies a readiness to respond to or be influenced by forces or stimuli.

unduly sensitive to criticism

synonyms see in addition responsible

Examples of liable in a Sentence

If someone gets hurt on your property, you could be liable.

because of his frail constitution, he's liable to diseases

Recent Examples on the Web

And Biden is liable to commit another gaffe, misstep, or brain freeze at any moment. —Matthew Continetti, National Review, 13 July 2024

This gives rise to other questions: If serious illnesses that can take many months to manifest arise a year or more after a smoke cloud has hung over a major population center, are those who started the fires behind that smoke liable for health care expenses of the affected? —Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 12 July 2024

While the city argued that the fossil fuel companies’ products posed a public and private nuisance, Brown ruled that greenhouse gas emissions wouldn’t be considered a nuisance under the state law for which the oil and gas companies could be held liable. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2024

The utility company’s equipment has been blamed for sparking some of the worst fires in state history, including the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, and PG&E Corp. has been found liable for billions of dollars worth of destruction. —Daniel Hunt, Sacramento Bee, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lyable, from Anglo-French *liable, from lier to bind, from Latin ligare — more at ligature

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

liable

adjective

li·​a·​ble ˈlī-ə-bəl 

 especially in senses 2 & 3 often  ˈlī-bəl

1

: forced by law or by what is right to make good

we are liable for damage that we do

2

: not sheltered or protected (as from danger or accident)

liable to diseases

3

: exposed to or likely to experience something that usually is undesirable

you're liable to slip there

it's liable to rain before we're done

Legal Definition

liable

adjective

li·​a·​ble ˈlī-ə-bəl 

1

: answerable according to law : bound or obligated according to law or equity

one is liable as an accomplice to the crime of another

—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.

the estate is liable for succession taxes

—Commissioner of Revenue Services v. Estate of Culpepper, 493 A.2d 297 (1985)

2

a

: being in a position to incur

—used with to

liable to a fine

property liable to duties

b

: subject or amenable according to law

Etymology

ultimately from Old French lier to bind, from Latin ligare