Meaning & use

liable

adjective·Academic

Last updated

Legally responsible for something, or likely to do or experience something unwelcome.

See it in a sentence

The driver was found liable for the damages caused by the accident.

If you leave the ladder out in the rain, it's liable to rust.

A note on using this word

Liable has two common uses: a legal sense (responsible for) and an everyday sense meaning 'likely to,' which is usually followed by 'to.'

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