different between labile vs liable

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin l?bilis (“apt to slip, transient”), from l?bor, l?b? (“slip; glide, flow”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?le?ba?l/

Adjective

labile (comparative more labile, superlative most labile)

1. Liable to slip, err, fall, or apostatize.
2. Apt or likely to change.

   Synonym: unstable
3. (chemistry, of a compound or bond) Kinetically unstable; rapidly cleaved (and possibly reformed).

4. (linguistics, of a verb) Able to change valency without changing its form; especially, able to be used both transitively and intransitively without changing its form.

Derived terms

Related terms

• frigolabile
• lability
• lapse

Translations

Further reading

• labile in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• labile in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• labile at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Belial, Biella, alible, liable

Danish

Adjective

labile

1. definite singular of labil
2. indefinite plural of labil
3. definite plural of labil

French

Etymology

From Latin l?bilis (“apt to slip, transient”), from l?bor, l?b? (“slip; glide, flow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /la.bil/

Adjective

labile (plural labiles)

1. labile

Further reading

• “labile” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• baille, bâille, bâillé

Italian

Etymology

From Latin l?bilis (“apt to slip, transient”), from l?bor, l?b? (“slip; glide, flow”).

Adjective

labile (plural labili)

1. fleeting, ephemeral
2. fickle

Anagrams

• biella, Biella

Latin

Adjective

l?bile

1. nominative neuter singular of l?bilis
2. accusative neuter singular of l?bilis
3. vocative neuter singular of l?bilis

English

Etymology

From Old French lier (“to bind”), from Latin ligare (“to bind, to tie”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?la???b?l/, [?la???b??], [?la???b??]
• Rhymes: -a??b?l

Adjective

liable (comparative more liable, superlative most liable)

1. bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable.

   The surety is liable for the debt of his principal.

   • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 34.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

     He inveighed against the folly of making oneself liable for the debts of others; vented many bitter execrations against the brother; and concluded with wishing something could be done for the unfortunate family.

     The passion for philosophy, like that for religion, seems liable to this inconvenience

2. subject; susceptible.
3. exposed to a certain contingency or causality, more or less probable.
4. (as predicate, with "to" and an infinitive) likely.

   Someone is liable to slip on your icy sidewalk.

Related terms

• liability
• reliable

Translations

Anagrams

• Belial, Biella, alible, labile