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Law vocabulary · Rights & Obligations

Liability

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/nounCore term

In law, liability means: Legal responsibility for something, especially the duty to pay for harm, loss or debts; in accounting, also an amount that a company owes.

In Turkish: sorumluluk, yükümlülük, borç

How it is used

Very common in contracts and disputes: 'limitation of liability', 'accept liability', 'deny liability', 'joint and several liability'. The adjective is 'liable': 'liable for the damage'. Lawyers separate liability (who is responsible) from damages (how much is paid).

Example sentences

  1. The insurer has accepted liability, so we only need to agree on the amount.

  2. This clause caps the supplier's liability at the total fees paid in one year.

Common collocations

  • limitation of liability
  • accept liability
  • deny liability
  • joint and several liability
  • strict liability
  • obligationSomething that a person or organisation must do because a law, a contract or a court order requires it.
  • damagesMoney that a court orders one party to pay another as compensation for loss or harm caused by a breach of contract or another legal wrong.
  • negligenceFailure to take the care that a reasonable person would take in the same situation, which causes harm or loss to someone else.
  • tortA wrongful act, other than a breach of contract, that causes harm to another person and allows them to claim compensation in a civil court.
  • breachThe act of breaking a law, a contract term or a duty; also used as a verb meaning to break such a rule or promise.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Rights & Obligations

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.