liability

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/ UK /ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
legal responsibility; also, a person or thing causing disadvantage

The aging equipment had become a serious liability for the firm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · legal responsibility; also,... responsibility obligation debt burden drawback handicap encumbrance

Opposites

asset advantage benefit immunity

Word family

Forms liabilities

Related forms liableliably

Etymology

From liable (probably from Anglo-Norman lier, from Latin ligāre 'to bind') + the suffix -ity.

ligāre Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

# liability

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti
**IPA (UK):** ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti

## Meanings
1. legal responsibility; also, a person or thing causing disadvantage

## Examples
- The aging equipment had become a serious liability for the firm.

## Synonyms
- responsibility
- obligation
- debt
- burden
- drawback
- handicap
- encumbrance

## Antonyms
- asset
- advantage
- benefit
- immunity

## Related Forms
- liable
- liably

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ligāre

## Etymology
From liable (probably from Anglo-Norman lier, from Latin ligāre 'to bind') + the suffix -ity.

## AI Etymology
Liability is from liable (probably from Anglo-Norman lier, from Latin ligāre 'to bind') + the suffix -ity. Important recorded forms include ligāre (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. Its deeper history remains uncertain, with proposed links left as possibilities rather than a single settled derivation. The current sense covers legal responsibility; also, a person or thing causing disadvantage. The wider family includes related words such as liable and liably.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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liability

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