兩者的區(qū)別在于joint liability為“共同負(fù)債”或“共同責(zé)任”，指兩個(gè)或兩個(gè)以上者共同對(duì)第三人的負(fù)債，或在侵權(quán)案件中兩個(gè)或兩個(gè)以上的侵權(quán)人對(duì)被侵權(quán)人應(yīng)負(fù)的責(zé)任，債務(wù)人或責(zé)任人在訴訟中有權(quán)要求其共同債務(wù)人或共同責(zé)任人作為本訴的共同被告，且要求他們共同償還債務(wù)或賠償損失[1]。joint and several liability則為“連帶負(fù)債”，指債權(quán)人可就兩個(gè)以上債務(wù)人所欠的債務(wù)同時(shí)對(duì)所有債務(wù)人提起訴訟，也可單獨(dú)就其中某一債務(wù)人提起而要求他（她）歸還所有其他人所欠債務(wù)，一旦歸還，其他債務(wù)人也就免去自己的債務(wù)，此種情況經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)在夫妻的共同債務(wù)中，如夫妻雙方申明其對(duì)債務(wù)負(fù)連帶債務(wù)責(zé)任， 債權(quán)人只對(duì)丈夫或妻子一方起訴要求歸還夫妻所欠的全部債務(wù)即可。同樣，在侵權(quán)責(zé)任中，joint and several liability指“連帶責(zé)任”，即準(zhǔn)許被侵權(quán)人只要求共同侵權(quán)人之一賠償其全部損失[2]。

[1]“ Liability that is owed to a third party by two or more other parties together. One wherein joint obligor has right to insist that co-obligor be joined as a codefendant with him, that is, that they be sued jointly. " Cf. The Publisher's Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at p. 583，West Publishing Co. (1991 ).

[2]“l(fā)iability for damages caused by the combined action of two or more persons, or for an obligation undertaken by two or more persons，under circumstances in which the law permits the plaintiff to proceed either against the whole group or against member individually." Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law, at p. 271 , Random House (2000).