liableadjective [ after verb ]
uk/ˈlaɪ.ə.bəl/us/ˈlaɪ.ə.bəl/liable adjective [ after verb ] (RESPONSIBLE)
C1 specialized law having (legal) responsibility for something or someone:
The law holds parents liable if a child does not attend school.
If we lose the case we may be liable for (= have to pay) the costs of the whole trial.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Duty, obligation and responsibility
- accountable
- answer for sb/sth
- answer for sth
- answer to sb
- answerable
- brother
- commitment
- fail
- have sth on your hands idiom
- I am not my brother's keeper idiom
- in the hot seat idiom
- incharge
- it's your own lookout idiom
- portfolio
- responsible
- risk
- saddle sb with sth
- social contract
- stick
- stick sb with sth
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liable adjective [ after verb ] (LIKELY)
C2 very likely to do something:
The areas of town near the river are liable to flooding (= are often flooded).
[ + to infinitive ] He's liable to make a fuss if you wake him.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Possible and probable
- (the) chances are idiom
- always
- anything's possible idiom
- arguably
- as never before idiom
- avenue
- course
- lean
- lean towards sth
- likelihood
- likely
- may well idiom
- sporting chance
- stand
- strange
- stranger things have happened idiom
- strong
- ten
- ten to one idiom
- vista
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