liability

noun

ˌlī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce liability (audio)
Definition of liabilitynext
1
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success though his small size is a liability as a football player, he makes up for it with speed

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2
as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right the liability for the accident is held by the person who was driving too fast

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3
as in exposure
the state of being left without shelter or protection against something harmful failure to properly clean the wound could increase your liability to infection

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4
as in likelihood
the quality or state of being likely to occur what's the liability that he'll file a formal complaint if he's refused admission?

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5
as in debt
usually liabilities plural something (as money) which is owed your liabilities total about $200,000

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of liability When wealth becomes a liability Few social-media figures have advertised wealth as aggressively as the Tate brothers. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 In this moment, the human’s biological latency is a liability; the machine’s autonomous agency is the lifesaver. — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Current law allows studios to get cash instead of claiming the credit against tax liability for a 10% discount on the total with a payback period of five years. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 However, Microsoft has signed significant long-term data center leases — and those are considered liabilities under accounting rules, given the company is obligated to make regular lease payments. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for liability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liability
  1. disadvantage
  2. responsibility
  3. exposure
  4. likelihood
  5. debt
  6. handicap
  7. blame
  8. vulnerability
Noun
  • Consider these advantages and disadvantages before choosing an ARM.
    — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Similarly, although benefits of smaller class sizes are real, at least for economically disadvantaged kids in early grades, uniform caps put high-poverty schools at a competitive disadvantage (because other working conditions are more difficult).
    — David Griffith, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disadvantage
Noun
  • Handle one visible fix, share one responsibility, or set up tomorrow’s essentials.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • For smaller practices, the development of digital outreach often takes place alongside patient care and routine administrative responsibilities.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of responsibility
Noun
  • The study defined high-exposure counties as having median annual emissions of 51 pounds of ethylbenzene and 44 pounds of toulene.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Shape-memory polymers can be programmed to return to a particular shape after exposure to a stimulus, often heat.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of exposure
Noun
  • The lights also have a high likelihood of visibility from most of Alaska.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Living in areas like metro Atlanta, which have more traffic and higher rates of theft, may increase the likelihood of claims, which in turn raises insurance prices.
    — McKynzie Steward, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of likelihood
Noun
  • The Moon enters Aries and your 8th House of Shared Resources, Trust, Intimacy, and Mutual Support, bringing focus to budgets, agreements, access, debts, or private commitments.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has billed himself as America’s top bond salesman, has noted the eagerness with which AI companies are offering debt—no matter the cost of borrowing.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of debt
Noun
  • Weiss runs a country club where golf clubs become horsepower, fairways give way to a racetrack and the handicap system is measured in lap time.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Tragically, Alice’s shower trauma turns out to be a big handicap for her in her pursuit of Catherine’s trust.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of handicap
Noun
  • In addition, the American people have to share part of the blame.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Amid a mayoral election, Bass shifted the blame to Raman before visiting the community and talking to neighbors.
    — Joy Benedict, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of blame
Noun
  • Lou, in Álvarez’s hands, is a particularly compelling combination of vulnerability and certainty.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Fortune was one of the first to report on OpenAI’s disclosure that its models broke away from human control and attacked Hugging Face by exploiting a security vulnerability.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of vulnerability

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Cite this Entry

“Liability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liability. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on liability

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about liability

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