Revised as of
7 July 2023
It’s possible that this author forgot that their character would be liable when he posted that comment on Facebook. And that as soon as it was posted, it became libel.
Quite probably, you can discern the difference between the two when you remember that liable is a legally responsible adjective while libel is all about the published, as a noun or verb, that damages a person’s reputation.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore “Defamation is Either Libel or Slander” and/or “Liable versus Likely“.
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 | Libel | |
|---|---|---|
Who is Liable? |
Edd Lee Liar by davitydave is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt. — If Ed Lee is not a liar, this poster would be libel. |
|
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Adjective | Noun; Verb, transitive
Plural for the noun: libels Third person present verb: libels |
|
Responsible by law
Likely to do or to be something
|
Noun: [Law] A published false statement in written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures that is damaging to a person’s reputation
[In admiralty and ecclesiastical law] A plaintiff’s written declaration Verb, transitive:
[In admiralty and ecclesiastical law] Bring a suit against someone |
|
| Examples: | ||
| The supplier of goods or services can become liable for breach of contract in a variety of ways.
You are liable for the damage caused by your action. Patients were liable to faint if they stood up too suddenly. We’re liable to cancer in my family. He’s liable to get angry. The areas liable to flooding include this section and that one. “The decision, handed down today, held that a Colorado bakery can be liable under Colorado anti-discrimination law for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, when it bakes similar cakes for traditional weddings” (Volokh). |
Noun: Public officials have a more difficult time in proving libel. That could result in a libel action. A councilor sued two national newspapers for libel. A true statement is not libel. Maybe we could better ourselves by reaching out to others — and helping to kill a poisonous libel at the same time. The libel laws as they stand militate against doing this, because once a libel writ is issued by a complainant any apology is an admission of liability. Verb, transitive: One cannot say what one likes about people or institutions because one cannot libel anyone. If a ship does you any injury, you libel the ship. |
|
| Derivatives: | ||
| Adjective: nonliable, preliable, unliable | Adjective: libelant, libellant [British], libelous, libellous [British], unlibeled, unlibelled Adverb: libelously, libelouslly [British] Noun: libeler, libelist, libeller [British] Verb, transitive: interlibel, interlibeled, interlibeling, interlibelled, interlibelling [British] |
|
| History of the Word: | ||
| Late Middle English is perhaps from the Anglo-Norman French, from the French lier meaning to bind, from the Latin ligare. | Middle English, in the general sense of a document, a written statement, via the Old French from the Latin libellus, a diminutive of liber meaning book. | |
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 Libel
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: liable
Hickman, William. “Libel Law and Editing 101.” ACES Editors. 11 Aug 2020 Web. 6 Sept 2020. <https://aceseditors.org/news/2020/libel-law-and-editing-101>. Article.
Lexico.com: libel
Rubina, Manuel. “The Difference between ‘Liable’ and ‘Libel’.” The TR Company. E-Legal Lesson. 27 Dec 2016. Web. 20 Sept 2019. <https://www.thetrcompany.com/en/difference-between-liable-and-libel/>. Article.
Volokh, Eugene. “Colorado Appellate Court: Bakery Can be Liable for Refusing to Bake Cake for Same-sex Wedding.” The Washington Post. 13 Aug 2015. Web. 20 Sept 2019. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/08/13/colorado-appellate-court-bakery-can-be-liable-for-refusing-to-bake-cake-for-same-sex-wedding/>. Article.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Inspired by The Guardian‘s article, “Media companies scramble after judge rules they are liable for Facebook comments” by (I think) Michael McGowan on 25 June 2019. <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jun/25/media-companies-scramble-after-judge-rules-they-are-liable-for-facebook-comments>.
Heavy HDR Shibuya Scramble Crossing Night Lights, April 2015, is nesnad’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
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