Meaning & use
liability
Legal or financial responsibility for something, especially a debt or for damage that has been caused.
See it in a sentence
The company accepted liability for the damage caused by its faulty product.
The bank recorded the unpaid loan as a liability on its balance sheet.
A note on using this word
In finance, liabilities are the opposite of assets on a balance sheet; calling a person 'a liability' is a separate, more informal criticism of their reliability.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
A person or thing that causes trouble, risk, or disadvantage to those associated with it.
His constant lateness made him a liability to the whole project team.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “liability”, then compare your use with the examples above.