liable

adjective

ˈlī-ə-bəl How to pronounce liable (audio)
Definition of liablenext
1
as in susceptible
being in a situation where one is likely to meet with harm because of his frail constitution, he's liable to diseases

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in responsible
being the one who must meet an obligation or suffer the consequences for failing to do so the owner of a pet is liable for any damage that that pet might do

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective liable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of liable are exposed, open, prone, sensitive, subject, and susceptible. While all these words mean "being by nature or through circumstances likely to experience something adverse," liable implies a possibility or probability of incurring something because of position, nature, or particular situation.

liable to get lost

When is it sensible to use exposed instead of liable?

The words exposed and liable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exposed suggests lack of protection or powers of resistance against something actually present or threatening.

exposed to infection

In what contexts can open take the place of liable?

While the synonyms open and liable are close in meaning, open stresses a lack of barriers preventing incurrence.

a claim open to question

When might prone be a better fit than liable?

The meanings of prone and liable largely overlap; however, prone stresses natural tendency or propensity to incur something.

prone to delay

When would sensitive be a good substitute for liable?

While in some cases nearly identical to liable, sensitive implies a readiness to respond to or be influenced by forces or stimuli.

unduly sensitive to criticism

When is subject a more appropriate choice than liable?

In some situations, the words subject and liable are roughly equivalent. However, subject implies an openness for any reason to something that must be suffered or undergone.

all reports are subject to review

When could susceptible be used to replace liable?

The synonyms susceptible and liable are sometimes interchangeable, but susceptible implies conditions existing in one's nature or individual constitution that make incurrence probable.

very susceptible to flattery

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 liable States with no-fault insurance require drivers to buy personal injury protection, which pays for your medical expenses and lost wages after an accident, regardless of who is found liable. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 19 May 2025 Simpson had always professed innocence but was later found liable for the deaths in a separate civil case, and subsequently served nine years in prison on unrelated charges. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 May 2025 Simpson, who maintained his innocence but was found liable for the deaths in a civil case, later served nine years in prison on unrelated charges. —CBS News, 15 May 2025 Existing laws do not explicitly address generative AI, but there are plausible arguments that OpenAI is in the wrong and could be liable for millions of dollars in damages—some of those arguments are now being tested in a case against another image-generating AI company, Midjourney. —Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for liable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liable
  1. susceptible
  2. responsible
  3. vulnerable
  4. sensitive
  5. exposed
  6. prone
Adjective
  • Recent research shows rural SMEs, those based outside city limits, may be more susceptible to financial risk posed by climate hazards.
    — Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
  • These mutations can make the cancer more aggressive but also potentially susceptible to a specific type of drug called a PARP inhibitor, especially if the cancer becomes resistant to hormone therapy.
    — Jason P. Joseph, The Conversation, 21 May 2025
Definition of susceptible
Adjective
  • That can backfire spectacularly, since taxpayers are responsible for what’s on their tax return.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • The Trump administration is dropping plans to terminate leases for 34 offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for enforcing mine safety laws, the Department of Labor said Thursday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 May 2025
Definition of responsible
Adjective
  • If a redraw goes forward, the most vulnerable House incumbents would be Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) in the southwestern 3rd Congressional District and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) in the southeastern 1st Congressional District.
    — David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
  • In cities, armored units are often funneled into narrow streets and become vulnerable to attacks from above.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of vulnerable
Adjective
  • Moreover, data tokenization or de-identification allows sensitive information (like PII or health records) to be replaced with non-sensitive surrogates, reducing risk without compromising analytics.
    — Shinoy Vengaramkode Bhaskaran, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Tian also allegedly sent additional sensitive data on U.S. weapons systems.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • The exposed brick walls are freshly painted ecru, and new oversize picture windows splash sunlight onto the furniture, like a 1950s coffee table with fanciful Jacques Blin tiles on top and some inevitable scuffs on its wood legs ($8,200).
    — Craig Kellogg Ashok Sinha, New York Times, 16 May 2025
  • Beneath her blazer, the Princess of Wales styled a light blue, button-up collared shirt with exposed cuffs.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 29 Apr. 2025
Definition of exposed
Adjective
  • This natural stone is porous enough to stain, soft enough to scratch, and prone to damage from chemicals.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 May 2025
  • When heavy rain occurs, there is a potential for flooding, particularly in areas that are low-lying or prone to floods.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2025
Definition of prone

Browse Nearby Words

liability
liable
liaison
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Liable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liable. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on liable

Nglish: Translation of liable for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'

And So It Begins: 9 Words for Beginnings
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All