infallible

[ in-fal-uh-buhl ]
See synonyms for: infallibleinfallibilityinfallibly on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. absolutely trustworthy or sure: an infallible rule.

  2. unfailing in effectiveness or operation; certain: an infallible remedy.

  1. not fallible; exempt from liability to error, as persons, their judgment, or pronouncements: an infallible principle.

  2. Roman Catholic Church. immune from fallacy or liability to error in expounding matters of faith or morals by virtue of the promise made by Christ to the Church.

noun
  1. an infallible person or thing.

Origin of infallible

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word infallibilis.See in-3, fallible

synonym study For infallible

1, 2. See reliable.

Other words from infallible

  • in·fal·li·bil·i·ty, in·fal·li·ble·ness, noun
  • in·fal·li·bly, adverb
  • non·in·fal·li·ble, adjective
  • non·in·fal·li·bly, adverb

Words Nearby infallible

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use infallible in a sentence

  • As long as they believed Saraswati was infallible, any dissatisfaction they experienced was a personal shortcoming.

    The Fugitive Guru | Ben Crair | June 21, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Buffett is not infallible and his hiding in the bunker does not make him appear stronger, wiser, or accountable.

    What Warren Buffett Needs to Do Now | Jeffrey Sonnenfeld | April 1, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • To the vast majority of the devout, Pope Benedict XVI is infallible and the church has done nothing wrong.

    The Pope's Enablers | Barbie Latza Nadeau | April 12, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • "Doa Estefania, have no fear; you possess an infallible preservative," exclaimed the cappellan.

  • When Dan put his tobacco back unbitten, it was always an infallible sign that something had gone in a way that did not suit him.

  • An infallible method of remembering proper names is Get the name when introduced.

    Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
  • But Ramona saw now, with infallible intuition, that even as she had loved Alessandro, so Felipe loved her.

    Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
  • This may be said to be an infallible rule, and an examination of the instruments of the most celebrated makers fully confirms it.

British Dictionary definitions for infallible

infallible

/ (ɪnˈfæləbəl) /


adjective
  1. not fallible; not liable to error

  2. not liable to failure; certain; sure: an infallible cure

  1. completely dependable or trustworthy

noun
  1. a person or thing that is incapable of error or failure

Derived forms of infallible

  • infallibility or infallibleness, noun
  • infallibly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012