fallible
Americanadjective
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(of persons) liable to err, especially in being deceived or mistaken.
-
liable to be erroneous or false; not accurate.
fallible information.
adjective
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capable of being mistaken; erring
-
liable to mislead
Other Word Forms
- fallibility noun
- fallibleness 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
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.
Clemency used to be a consistent failsafe for an often fallible system.
From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026
Stick shifts are also slower than their auto-shifted counterparts from 0-60 mph—due to the fleshy, fallible widgets sitting in the driver’s seat.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Director Marc Munden says he hopes those watching the new series get an understanding of how things can "go badly wrong" and how fallible people can be.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
Fogelman: And ultimately, we try and make everybody fallible, but also everybody kind of have a point of view and a place where they’re coming from.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025
Part of the answer is that civil rights organizations—like all institutions—are comprised of fallible human beings.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
