Etymologically
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liability

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:23. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from liable and -ity.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In law, the condition of being liable or answerable: 1790 in Etymonline, 1794–1809 in the OED;[2][4] MWU dates it to 1705.[5]

Semantic evolution

The general sense, being liable or subject to something, is from 1809.[2][4] That for which one is liable, especially debts or financial obligations, is from 1842.[2][4] Limited liability, responsibility for a company's debts only to a fixed amount, is from 1855.[4] A trait or person that puts one at a disadvantage is from 1938.[4]

Timeline

  • 1705 – first use (MWU).[5]
  • 1790 – legal responsibility.[2]
  • 1809 – being liable to something.[2][4]
  • 1842 – a debt.[2][4]
  • 1855 – limited liability.[4]
  • 1938 – a disadvantage.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The state of being legally responsible for something.
  2. (usually plural) A debt or financial obligation.
  3. A person or thing that causes trouble or puts one at a disadvantage.
  4. The likelihood of being affected by something: liability to disease.

Word family

  • nonliability
  • limited liability
  • strict liability
  • liability insurance

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster