dependable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dependable
Compare meaning
How does dependable compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Dependable means "reliable, steady, trustworthy." If people can always count on you, that means you are dependable. The adjective dependable can also mean consistent in performance or behavior, like a dependable car that always starts and rarely needs service or a dependable actor who always does a great job, regardless of the role. Dependable can also be used to describe something that is financially sound, like an investment that brings profit with little risk.
Vocabulary lists containing dependable
Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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Words to Describe a Friend
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Cover Letter Language
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To help them compensate without Will Smith’s dependable bat and without being able to depend on $240-million-man Kyle Tucker in games at home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
If allied nations and American enterprises conclude that the vibrant, dependable open ecosystem is the Chinese one, they will build their sovereign AI infrastructure on it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
That guaranteed income might come from Social Security, a pension, an annuity or another dependable income source.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
This means models may be able to provide dependable estimates of Antarctica's contribution to sea level rise during the decades most important for adaptation planning.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
He was more dependable than my parents, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and big sister.
From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
