liability

/ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/
noun
  1. Legal or financial responsibility for something, especially for damage or debt.
    • Business owners have a liability to keep their premises safe for customers.
    • The driver accepted liability for the accident and paid for the repairs.
    • If you sign the contract, you take on full liability for the loan.
  2. A person or thing that causes problems or holds someone back.
    • She considered her shyness a liability when networking.
    • His bad temper was a liability in the workplace.
    • The old computer was more of a liability than an asset.
  3. An amount of money owed; a debt.
    • The bank listed the mortgage as a long-term liability.
    • Paying off that liability will take several years.
    • The company reported a liability of $2 million on its balance sheet.