dependable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- dependability noun
- dependableness noun
- dependably adverb
- interdependable adjective
- nondependable adjective
- nondependableness noun
- nondependably adverb
- predependable adjective
- undependable adjective
- undependableness noun
- undependably adverb
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.
It’s a classic human-style combination: the random workings of the mind coupled with the dependable workings of our solar-powered Texas Instruments calculators.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Manchester City will lose the services of their dependable captain next season after Bernardo Silva announced he will leave the club when his contract expires this summer.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Scientists have lacked a fast and dependable way to measure how long qubits can hold information.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026
It would be a seemingly dependable, predictable roommate relationship, and those are hard enough to come by as it is.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
He is wounded severely in the Wilderness, 1864, but returns to be Lee’s most dependable soldier, his right hand until the end at Appomattox.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
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.
