liable

[ lahy-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. legally responsible:

   You are liable for the damage caused by your action.

   Synonyms: accountable, answerable

2. subject or susceptible:

   to be liable to heart disease.

3. likely or apt:

   He's liable to get angry.

liable

/ ˈlaɪəbəl /

adjective

1. legally obliged or responsible; answerable
2. susceptible or exposed; subject
3. probable, likely, or capable

   it's liable to happen soon

Usage Note

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. apt, likely.

Usage

The use of liable to to mean likely to was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable

Derived Forms

• ˈliableness, noun

Other Words From

• non·lia·ble adjective
• pre·lia·ble adjective
• un·lia·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of liable¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Anglo-French “to bind,” from Latin ligāre ) + -able

Word History and Origins

Origin of liable¹

C15: perhaps via Anglo-French, from Old French lier to bind, from Latin ligāre

Example Sentences

Then, in July, Faber issued a second ruling that found Bluestone liable for the selenium violations.

From ProPublica

They don’t want to be liable if someone has an adverse reaction.

From Digiday

It meant that a parent corporation like McDonald’s, one of the companies embroiled in litigation over the rule, could be held liable for a franchise owner’s wrongdoing, such as retaliating against workers for trying to unionize.

From ProPublica

If the employee did so, the agency would have terminated a full-time contract with the employee and worked on a contract basis instead leaving the employee liable for paying for their own healthcare and other benefits can .

From Digiday

Yesterday a California appeals court ruled Amazon is liable for products sold by third parties on its site.

From Quartz

Clients who are wary of online transactions are liable to see escorts with print ads as less likely to cheat or scam  them.

From The Daily Beast

And while eBay makes a direct profit from sales, it is generally not liable unless it had knowledge of a suspicious seller.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, the suit tries to somehow find MLB liable for a still picture of Rector posted on a website called NotSportcenter.

From The Daily Beast

When he says that,” Lefty Wilson, the trainer, said, “he's liable to get three goals.

From The Daily Beast

This was the first time an oil refinery had been held criminally liable under the Act.

From The Daily Beast

Births, marriages, and deaths were also made liable to duties by the same Act.

From Project Gutenberg

Another way of rendering a principal liable for the act of his agent is by ratifying it.

From Project Gutenberg

His principal surely would not be liable, though the conductor doubtless would be.

From Project Gutenberg

A principal is liable for the statements and representations of his agent that have been expressly authorized.

From Project Gutenberg

Distilled water may be used for dilution, but is more liable to cause error.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• apt
• inclined
• prone
• sensitive
• susceptible
• vulnerable