liability
Translation
liability, responsibility, disadvantage, debt
Examples
The company has a liability for its products.
The company has a liability for its products.
His lack of experience is a liability.
His lack of experience is a liability.
The company's assets exceed its liabilities.
The company's assets exceed its liabilities.
Grammar Patterns
((liability)) ((for sth.)) responsibility for something The company has a liability for its products.
((a liability)) ((to sb./sth.)) a disadvantage to someone or something His lack of experience is a liability to the team.
((liabilities)) debts (usually plural) The company's assets exceed its liabilities.
Similar Words
Etymology
From French 'lier' (to bind), from Latin 'ligare' (to bind). The suffix '-ability' indicates a state. So, it literally means 'the state of being bound' by law or debt.
Memory Tips
Think of being 'liable' or legally 'tied' to a responsibility or debt. The 'lia-' part sounds like 'tie'.