/luy"euh beuhl/ , adj.
1. legally responsible: You are liable for the damage caused by your action.
2. subject or susceptible: to be liable to heart disease.
3. likely or apt: He's liable to get angry.
[ 1535-45; li ( er ) to bind ( ligare ) + -ABLE ]
Syn. 1. obliged, accountable.
Usage . LIABLE is often interchangeable with LIKELY in constructions with a following infinitive where the sense is that of probability: The Sox are liable (or likely ) to sweep the Series. Some usage guides, however, say that LIABLE can be used only in contexts in which the outcome is undesirable: The picnic is liable to be spoiled by rain. This use occurs often in formal writing but not to the exclusion of use in contexts in which the outcome is desirable: The drop in unemployment is liable to stimulate the economy. APT may also be used in place of LIABLE or LIKELY in all the foregoing examples. See also apt, likely .