fallible
Americanadjective
-
(of persons) liable to err, especially in being deceived or mistaken.
-
liable to be erroneous or false; not accurate.
fallible information.
adjective
-
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
So long as human bodies are fallible to disease, we will need labs studying viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites to see which ones could cause major problems.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 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
It is to stain their nobility, to make them vulnerable, fallible, breakable humans.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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.
