liability

[ lahy-uh-bil-i-tee ]

/ ˌlaɪ əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR liability ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural li·a·bil·i·ties.

liabilities,

moneys owed; debts or pecuniary obligations (opposed to assets).
Accounting. liabilities as detailed on a balance sheet, especially in relation to assets and capital.

something disadvantageous: His lack of education is his biggest liability.

Also li·a·ble·ness. the state or quality of being liable: liability to disease.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

li yüan, li-fraumeni cancer syndrome, li-sao, lia, liabilities, liability, liability engineering, liability insurance, liability limit, liable, liaise

Origin of liability

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

Related formsnon·li·a·bil·i·ty, noun, plural non·li·a·bil·i·ties.pre·li·a·bil·i·ty, noun, plural pre·li·a·bil·i·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for liability

Except for in the Academy, where a low number seems to be a liability.
Why Does Oscar Hate Young Men?|Kevin Fallon|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But will his racially charged rhetoric make him a liability instead?
The Far-Right Radio Host Who Could Deliver the Senate to the GOP|Ben Jacobs|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And when it comes to liability litigation, as inevitably it will, Rolls Royce would seem to be off the hook.
New MH370 Puzzle Scrambles Search|Clive Irving|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They also have liability insurance, which helps them make payments to passengers who are harmed or killed.
MH370: How Do Insurers Put a Price on Life?|Daniel Gross|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

So the company and its insurance policy bear no liability for what happened.
Uber and Its Enemies|Jim Epstein|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
B fails to construct the masonry work; this exempts A from liability.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3|Various
In the event of liquidation of the company, treasury stock would off-set the liability on account of capital stock.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 4|Various
But, no matter what is used, the liability to explosion is not lessened in any degree.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 288|Various
At common law the liability of a master is of a very limited character.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3|Various
Supposing, however, this assumption to be correct, it would not seem to affect the question of his liability.
The life of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Civil Engineer|Isambard Brunel

British Dictionary definitions for liability

liability

/ (ˌlaɪəˈbɪlɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state of being liable

a financial obligation

a hindrance or disadvantage

likelihood or probability

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for liability

liability

1790, originally a term in law; "condition of being legally liable;" see liable + -ity. General sense is from 1809; meaning "thing for which one is liable" is first attested 1842. Related: Liabilities.

Culture definitions for liability

liability

An obligation or debt.