liability

noun

ˌlī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce liability (audio)
Definition of liabilitynext
1
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success though his small size is a liability as a football player, he makes up for it with speed

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2
as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right the liability for the accident is held by the person who was driving too fast

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3
as in exposure
the state of being left without shelter or protection against something harmful failure to properly clean the wound could increase your liability to infection

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4
as in likelihood
the quality or state of being likely to occur what's the liability that he'll file a formal complaint if he's refused admission?

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5
as in debt
usually liabilities plural something (as money) which is owed your liabilities total about $200,000

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of liability The foundation also reported total assets of $144,000 but liabilities of $169,000. — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 No liability is accepted by Fairlead Strategies, its officers, employees, affiliates, or partners for any losses that may arise from any use of the information contained herein. — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2025 Set up accountability and liability for AI systems. — Paulo Carvão, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025 The Trust aims for the value of the Shares to reflect the value of the ETC held by the Trust, less the Trust's expenses and other liabilities. — Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liability
  1. disadvantage
  2. responsibility
  3. exposure
  4. likelihood
  5. debt
  6. handicap
  7. blame
  8. probability
Noun
  • This strategy works well for generic roles but puts startups and small businesses at a disadvantage.
    — Sweta Khandelwal, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The team played the entire second half at a man disadvantage after a Patrick Dorgu red card.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of disadvantage
Noun
  • Soundview has taken responsibility for the ongoing remediation, and the state continues to closely monitor that work.
    — Staff report, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Some Western intelligence and national security officials caution there is no smoking gun that signals Moscow's direct responsibility in all of the recent cable cutting incidents.
    — Erin Banco and Mari Saito, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of responsibility
Noun
  • One key tenet of the plan is to help train Thai models as well as promote them with international exposure.
    — Rhonda Richford, WWD, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Yuen recommends paying attention to environmental factors like pollen or air quality to avoid exposure to unwanted particles.
    — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of exposure
Noun
  • Yankees Lineup Questions Considering how many aging players the team relies on, their offseason didn’t reflect the likelihood of major injuries.
    — Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Regular deep cleaning will keep things sanitary and reduce the likelihood of pests camping out in your kitchen.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of likelihood
Noun
  • Household debt, excluding mortgages, is now at $5 trillion dollar, about 20% higher than in 2020; the debt is comprised of loans, lines of credit, student and car loans, and credit cards.
    — Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • For example, if the individual who passed did not have life insurance, long-term care or supplemental disability insurance, there may also be debts left behind that can erode the inheritance.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of debt
Noun
  • In 1936, famed Olympic runner Jesse Owens raced a horse in a 100-yard dash and won thanks in part to a 40-yard handicap).
    — Emily Barone, Time, 19 July 2017
  • LNK classes have done everything from installing handicap doors at Redwood to creating a Healthy Newborn site for Transitions that serves mothers going through addiction recovery.
    — Brent Cooper, Cincinnati.com, 17 July 2017
Definition of handicap
Noun
  • Ever since the party managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in last year’s presidential race, Democratic leaders and key influencers have reverted to the circular firing squads of blame to which losing campaigns inevitably return.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
  • What To Know Kudlow spoke on his Fox Business show Kudlow about the poor economic projections for February, placing the blame on President Joe Biden's administration for high costs and low job prospects.
    — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of blame
Noun
  • Given these probabilities, a June Fed rate cut looks very likely, while a May Fed interest rate cut appears unlikely.
    — Jason Schenker, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • In addition to JPMorgan, analysts at Goldman Sachs have recently raised their 12-month recession probability from 15 percent to 20 percent, the Wall Street Journal reported.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of probability

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Cite this Entry

“Liability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liability. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on liability

Nglish: Translation of liability for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about liability

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