Standard Lemma guide

liable

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlaɪ̯əbəl/
  • [ˈlaɪ̯əbɫ̩]
  • [ˈlaɪ̯əbəɫ]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪəbəl
  • CMU ARPABET: L AY1 AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The surety is liable for the debt of his principal.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Subject; susceptible; prone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This crime is liable to imprisonment for life.
  • A man liable to heart disease.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Exposed to a certain contingency or causality, more or less probable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Electronic devices are liable to malfunction when exposed to extreme heat.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Likely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: predicative

Examples

  • Someone is liable to slip on your icy sidewalk.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

held legally responsible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • men between the ages of 18 and 35 were liable for military service

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

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)).

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bashkir: яуаплы (yawaplı) — legally responsible
  • Bulgarian: отговорен (otgovoren) — legally responsible
  • Catalan: responsable — legally responsible
  • Dutch: aansprakelijk — legally responsible
  • Dutch: verantwoordelijk — legally responsible
  • French: responsable — legally responsible
  • German: fehlbar — legally responsible
  • German: haftbar — legally responsible
  • German: haftend — legally responsible
  • German: haftpflichtig — legally responsible
  • Hindi: उत्तरदायी (uttardāyī) — legally responsible
  • Hungarian: felelős — legally responsible
  • Icelandic: skaðabótaskyldur — legally responsible
  • Irish: faoi dhliteanas — legally responsible
  • Irish: freagrach — legally responsible
  • Italian: responsabile — legally responsible
  • Latin: obnoxius — legally responsible
  • Māori: eke — legally responsible
  • Polish: odpowiedzialny — legally responsible
  • Portuguese: responsável — legally responsible
  • Romanian: răspunzător — legally responsible
  • Romanian: responsabil — legally responsible
  • Russian: обя́занный (objázannyj) — legally responsible
  • Russian: отве́тственный (otvétstvennyj) — legally responsible
  • Spanish: responsabilizado — legally responsible
  • Spanish: responsabilizable — legally responsible
  • Ukrainian: відповід́альний (vidpovid́alʹnyj) — legally responsible
  • Ukrainian: зобов'я́заний (zobovʺjázanyj) — legally responsible
  • Bulgarian: подлежащ (podležašt) — subject; susceptible
  • French: sujet — subject; susceptible
  • French: susceptible — subject; susceptible
  • Italian: punibile — subject; susceptible
  • Italian: passibile — subject; susceptible
  • Italian: soggetto — subject; susceptible
  • Māori: eke — subject; susceptible
  • Spanish: propenso — subject; susceptible
  • Spanish: tendente — subject; susceptible
  • Spanish: tendiente — subject; susceptible
  • Spanish: proclive — subject; susceptible
  • Catalan: subjecte — exposed to a certain contingency
  • German: neigend — exposed to a certain contingency
  • German: unterworfen — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Portuguese: passível — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Romanian: pasibil — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Russian: подверженный (podveržennyj) — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Russian: скло́нный (sklónnyj) — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Russian: уязвимый (ujazvimyj) — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Ukrainian: схи́льний (sxýlʹnyj) — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Ukrainian: яки́й підляга́є (jakýj pidljaháje) — exposed to a certain contingency
  • Italian: verb conditional form — likely