liable

[Li·a*ble]

If you drive into someone's fence, you’ll probably be held liable legally responsible for fixing it. Liable can also mean “likely,” usually with something unpleasant: "If you don't brush your teeth, they're liable to fall out."

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Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable; as, the surety is liable for the debt of his principal.

Adjective S.
held legally responsible; "men between the ages of 18 and 35 were liable for military service"

v. t.
Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable; as, the surety is liable for the debt of his principal.

v. t.
Exposed to a certain contingency or casualty, more or less probable; -- with to and an infinitive or noun; as, liable to slip; liable to accident.

Liable

Li"a*ble , a. [From F. lier to bind, L. ligare. Cf. Ally, v. t., Ligature.] 1. Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable; as, the surety is liable for the debt of his principal. 2. Exposed to a certain contingency or casualty, more or less probable; -- with to and an infinitive or noun; as, liable to slip; liable to accident. Syn. -- Accountable; responsible; answerable; bound; subject; obnoxious; exposed. -- Liable, Subject. Liable refers to a future possible or probable happening which may not actually occur; as, horses are liable to slip; even the sagacious are liable to make mistakes. Subject refers to any actual state or condition belonging to the nature or circumstances of the person or thing spoken of, or to that which often befalls one. One whose father was subject to attacks of the gout is himself liable to have that disease. Men are constantly subject to the law, but liable to suffer by its infraction.

Proudly secure, yet liable to fall.

All human things are subject to decay.

Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable; as, the surety is liable for the debt of his principal.

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Usage Examples

An economist's guess is liable to be as good as anybody else's.

Any revival in which I am involved is liable to change.

The usual comment from psychologists and psychiatrists was that it's best not to encourage people to look at their dreams because they are liable to stir up problems for themselves.

Friendship is the marriage of the soul, and this marriage is liable to divorce.

A policy is a temporary creed liable to be changed, but while it holds good it has got to be pursued with apostolic zeal.

The essence of Government is power and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.

Misspelled Form

liable, kliable, oliable, pliable, :liable, kiable, oiable, piable, :iable, lkiable, loiable, lpiable, l:iable, luiable, l8iable, l9iable, loiable, ljiable, lkiable, luable, l8able, l9able, loable, ljable, lkable, liuable, li8able, li9able, lioable, lijable, likable, liqable, liwable, lisable, lizable, liqble, liwble, lisble, lizble, liaqble, liawble, liasble, liazble, liavble, liagble, liahble, lianble, lia ble, liavle, liagle, liahle, lianle, lia le, liabvle, liabgle, liabhle, liabnle, liab le, liabkle, liabole, liabple, liab:le, liabke, liaboe, liabpe, liab:e, liablke, liabloe, liablpe, liabl:e, liablwe, liabl3e, liabl4e, liablre, liablse, liablde, liablw, liabl3, liabl4, liablr, liabls, liabld, liablew, liable3, liable4, liabler, liables, liabled.

Other Usage Examples

All men are liable to error and most men are, in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it.

He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature... is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life.

Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken.

I know that some endeavor to throw the mantle of romance over the subject and treat woman like some ideal existence, not liable to the ills of life. Let those deal in fancy who have nothing better to deal in we have to do with sober, sad realities, with stubborn facts.

Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.

It is worth while too to warn the teacher that undue severity in correcting faults is liable at times to discourage a boy's mind from effort.