It’s likely that you’ll be liable for the images you use in your books. It’s one reason I’m more likely to use Wikimedia Commons images with a Creative Commons license for the visual examples in my posts.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore “Liable versus Libel” and/or “Defamation is Either Libel or Slander“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Liable | Likely |
|---|---|
 — |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective; Adverb |
Responsible by law
Likely to do or to be something
Subject Susceptible |
Adjective: Such as well might happen or be true
Apparently suitable
Adverb: |
| Examples: | |
| The supplier of goods or services can become liable for breach of contract in a variety of ways.
Patients were liable to faint if they stood up too suddenly. A number of areas in New Orleans are liable to flooding. When one is self-employed, one’s income is liable to fluctuate wildly. In law, a person is legally liable when he/she is financially and legally responsible for something. He’s liable to get angry. Our family is liable to cancers and depression. |
Adjective: The likely effects of the drought on sugar beet yields are grim. It was likely that he would make a televised statement to explain his part in the raid. Sales are likely to drop further. This is a likely looking spot. That’s a likely story, Ollie. The most likely result is that nothing will happen. Adverb: As likely as not, we’ll have to go to your mother’s. I won’t take their pills because as likely as not they’d poison me. “Are you going home?” “Not likely!” |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: likelier, likeliest, unlikelier, unlikeliest Adverb: unlikely Noun: likelihood, likeliness, unlikelihood, unlikeliness |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| Late Middle English and is perhaps from the Anglo-Norman French, from the French lier meaning to bind, from the Latin ligare. | Middle English is from the Old Norse líkligr, from líkr. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Liable versus Likely
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits
Boot of Beer assumed to be by Colinandamy~commonswiki (based on copyright claims). It is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 15 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie