liability

American  

[lahy-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌlaɪ əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

• liabilities
  plural

1. liabilities,

   1. Finance. moneys owed; debts or pecuniary obligations (opposed to assets).

   2. Accounting. liabilities as detailed on a balance sheet, especially in relation to assets and capital.

2. something disadvantageous.

   His lack of education is his biggest liability.

3. Also liableness the state or quality of being liable.

   liability to disease.

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liability British  

/ ˌlaɪəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being liable

2. a financial obligation

3. a hindrance or disadvantage

4. likelihood or probability

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liability Cultural  

1. An obligation or debt.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonliability
  noun
• preliability
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• liabilities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of liability

First recorded in 1785–95; li(able) + -ability

Explanation

A liability is a debt or obligation or a personal flaw that stands in your way. A company's liabilities are simply the debts on its ledger, but a personal liability might be your extreme shyness in social situations. Depending on how you use it, the word liability has very different meanings. In a business or financial sense, a liability is a debt or fiscal obligation, like a mortgage or a loan. A limited liability company means if the company fails, the partners are on the hook for only what they initially invested in the company. A personal liability, however, is some element of your past, your character, or your behavior that might give you a disadvantage.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

liability liabilities

Payments executives see trust as the biggest barrier to people embracing AI shopping, alongside concerns over liability for unauthorized purchases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

“Labs face significant liability if their models cause harm, so they have a strong incentive to prevent this as well,” wrote the Meta chief.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Add to this the Manson-flavored “cult” that serves as the series’ center of villainy, and freedom of assembly begins to look less like a constitutional right than a societal liability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

His longtime girlfriend had just broken up with him, his teammates were mocking him behind his back and, at 23, he had crossed the line from prospect to liability.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

As Patterson increasingly became a liability to his institution, the school trustees were repeatedly pressed by lead industry officials to shut him up or let him go.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

He also points to higher mortgage rates, people concerned about "all the costs and liabilities of owning a property" including service charges and ground rents.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

He also checked boxes that indicate he estimates his assets to be worth $50,000 or less and his liabilities to be between $1 million - $10 million.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

As part of its vote, the council also approved an amendment introduced by Councilmember Adrin Nazarian recommending the city attorney assess potential legal liabilities for mandating in-person training requirements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The jet maker bought Spirit AeroSystems in December, and has since uncovered large liabilities it initially hadn’t identified.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Like a lot of girls, I became aware of the liabilities of my body early, long before I began to even look like a woman.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• damage
• inconvenience
• involvement
• loan
• mortgage
• obligation
• responsibility