liability
Americannoun
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liabilities,
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Finance. moneys owed; debts or pecuniary obligations (opposed to assets).
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Accounting. liabilities as detailed on a balance sheet, especially in relation to assets and capital.
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something disadvantageous.
His lack of education is his biggest liability.
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Also liableness the state or quality of being liable.
liability to disease.
noun
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the state of being liable
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a financial obligation
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a hindrance or disadvantage
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likelihood or probability
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of liability
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.
Vocabulary lists containing liability
The Lightning Thief
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The Kite Runner
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Earlier in the year, John Sobolewski also departed Wachtell to lead Latham’s Liability Management practice.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
The remaining $25 million will be paid through the Public Liability Fund, according to the City Council.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2025
"Liability for copyright infringement is not limited to direct infringers, but extends to those who induce, cause or materially contribute to the infringement of others," Clement said.
From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025
Alice's attorneys used a novel angle of attack called a Product Liability lawsuit, arguing that the site was defective in its design.
From BBC • Nov. 22, 2023
Liability for forced labor The army and corvée, or levy for forced labor, were chiefly obtained from the slaves, and above all from the serfs.
From Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters by Johns, C. H. W. (Claude Hermann Walter)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
