Liability Meaning
/laɪəˈbɪlɪti/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
nounAn obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone., Any kind of debt recorded on the right-hand side of a balance sheet.
Sentence Examples
He denies any liability for the damage caused.
The company didn't admit liability.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
His bad attitude is a ____ for the team because it lowers morale.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company's total ____ increased significantly after they decided to borrow a large sum of money today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English liable Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English liability From liable + -ity.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsibility," continued the other. "They admit no liability at all, but in consideration of your son's services they wish to present you with a certain sum as compensation.""
— 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw:
"Those products – known as liability-driven investing, or LDIs – help offset liabilities and risks on pension funds’ books."
— 2022 September 29, Kalyeena Makortoff, Sarah Butler, “‘I’d never seen anything like it’: how market turmoil sparked a pension fund selloff”, in The Guardian:
"Asked if at some point Huma becomes a liability to Hillary, the long-term Clinton insider replies, “It’s like anything else. I don’t think so, but you know I don’t have any idea. Hillary is very loyal, but she’s obviously pragmatic.”"
— 2016 January 31, “Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem?”, in Vanity Fair:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His bad attitude is a ____ for the team because it lowers morale.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company's total ____ increased significantly after they decided to borrow a large sum of money today.