fallible

American  

[fal-uh-buhl] / ˈfæl ə bəl /

adjective

1. (of persons) liable to err, especially in being deceived or mistaken.

2. liable to be erroneous or false; not accurate.

   fallible information.

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fallible British  

/ ˈfælɪbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being mistaken; erring

2. liable to mislead

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fallibleness
  noun
• fallibility
  noun
• fallibly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of fallible

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin fallibilis, equivalent to Latin fall(ī) (passive of fallere “to deceive”) + -ibilis -ible

Explanation

As humans we are all fallible, because fallible means likely to make errors or fail. Nobody's perfect, after all. Fall down on the job and you're fallible. It's a forgiving way to say you screwed up. If a scientific experiment's data is fallible, that means you can't trust the numbers. More than just locking your keys in the car, fallible can allude to a lack of moral strength. If in addition to locking your keys in the car, you kissed your best friend's husband, you might try using "I'm fallible" as your defense.

Related Words

• faulty
• frail
• imperfect
• untrustworthy