Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks for a precise term denoting legal accountability. This is common in legal and business contexts where clear terminology distinguishes between duty, possibility, and status.
Step 2: Analyzing the Options:
• Legitimate (A): Means conforming to the law or rules; lawful. It describes the status of a law or birth, not the responsibility of a person.
• Liable (B): Specifically means responsible by law; legally answerable. This matches the definition provided in the prompt.
• Legalised (C): Means to make something lawful that was previously illegal. It refers to an action taken upon a law or act, not an individual's state of responsibility.
• Eligible (D): Means having the right to do or obtain something. It relates to qualification rather than responsibility.
Step 3: Detailed Reasoning:
In legal parlance, "liability" refers to the state of being liable or responsible for an obligation or debt. When a person is "liable," they are legally bound to make reparations or fulfill an obligation. None of the other options carry the specific meaning of legal accountability or answerability.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The word that replaces the phrase is "liable."