General:
* Liable: This is the most common and general term for legal responsibility.
* Accountable: This emphasizes the obligation to answer for one's actions.
* Responsible: This is a general term that can refer to legal responsibility, but can also have other meanings.
* Legally obligated: This emphasizes that the responsibility is imposed by law.
Specific to legal contexts:
* Guilty: This is used in criminal cases where a person has been found to have committed a crime.
* Negligent: This describes someone who failed to exercise reasonable care and caused harm.
* Culpable: This means deserving blame for a crime or wrongdoing.
* Defendant: This refers to a person who is sued in a civil case.
* Respondent: This refers to a person who is defending against an accusation or charge in a legal proceeding.
The best word to use depends on the specific situation. For example, if you are talking about a company's legal responsibility for a product defect, you might use the word "liable." If you are talking about a person's responsibility for a crime, you might use the word "guilty."