liable
Americanadjective
-
legally responsible.
You are liable for the damage caused by your action.
- Synonyms:
- accountable, answerable
-
subject or susceptible.
to be liable to heart disease.
-
likely or apt.
He's liable to get angry.
adjective
-
legally obliged or responsible; answerable
-
susceptible or exposed; subject
-
probable, likely, or capable
it's liable to happen soon
Usage
Liable is often interchangeable with likely in constructions with a following infinitive where the sense is that of probability: The Sox are liable (or likely ) to sweep the Series. Some usage guides, however, say that liable can be used only in contexts in which the outcome is undesirable: The picnic is liable to be spoiled by rain. This use occurs often in formal writing but not to the exclusion of use in contexts in which the outcome is desirable: The drop in unemployment is liable to stimulate the economy. Apt may also be used in place of liable or likely in all the foregoing examples. See also apt, likely.
The use of liable to to mean likely to was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of liable
First recorded in 1535–45; from Anglo-French “to bind,” from Latin ligāre ) + -able
Explanation
If you drive into someone's fence, you’ll probably be held liable — legally responsible — for fixing it. Liable can also mean “likely,” usually with something unpleasant: "If you don't brush your teeth, they're liable to fall out." When liable refers to legal responsibility, it's used with "for": "You're liable for the court costs" (meaning you have to pay them). When liable means "likely," it's with "to": "If you build your house on that cliff, it's liable to fall into the river," or "That part of town is liable to mudslides." Don't confuse liable with libel, which is a legal term for slander, or saying something false and damaging about someone.
Vocabulary lists containing liable
The Diary of Anne Frank
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List 4
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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.
Brian will have to pay filing costs and, if the judge did find that he took a frivolous case, he could, in theory, be held liable for Adam’s legal fees, too.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
“If I don’t do what’s medically indicated in a potentially life-threatening situation, then I am liable for neglect. Why isn’t this the same thing?”
From Salon • May 27, 2026
Because of the step-up in basis at death, if your children inherit assets that aren’t in retirement accounts, they won’t be liable for taxes on capital gains earned during your lifetime.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
A jury found OpenAI and its leaders not liable in Elon Musk’s lawsuit, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
If anyone looked at her funny, she was liable to get in their face and tell them, “Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer.”
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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.
