liable
adjectivecommon in dialogue
- //ˈlaɪ̯əbəl//
- /[ˈlaɪ̯əbɫ̩]/
- /[ˈlaɪ̯əbəɫ]/
Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable.
adjective
- 1
Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable.
The surety is liable for the debt of his principal.
[object Object]
He inveighed against the folly of making oneself liable for the debts of others; vented many bitter execrations against the brother; and concluded with wishing something could be done for the unfortunate family. The passion for philosophy, like that for religion, seems liable to this inconvenience
The document states that despite its ongoing advancements, generative AI is liable to the United States’s current copyright principles, which take a strict stance on what material—human- or machine-made—qualifies for protection.
- 2
Subject; susceptible; prone.
This crime is liable to imprisonment for life.
A man liable to heart disease.
☞ This word [earth] is liable to a coarſe vulgar pronunciation, as if written Urth;[…]
- 3
Exposed to a certain contingency or causality, more or less probable.
Electronic devices are liable to malfunction when exposed to extreme heat.
- 4
Likely.
Someone is liable to slip on your icy sidewalk.
Etymology
From Old French lier (“to bind”), from Latin ligō, ligāre (“to bind, to tie”). Compare typologically Russian обя́занный (objázannyj), обяза́тельный (objazátelʹnyj) (akin to вяза́ть (vjazátʹ)).
Forms
- comparative
- more liable
- superlative
- most liable
liable · Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable.
liaison · A thickening for sauces, typically based on egg yolks.Liam · A male given name from Irish, currently popular in Ireland,…Lian · A surname.