reliability
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of reliability
Explanation
It's nice when someone compliments your reliability because it means they think you are dependable. Things that are known for reliability? Your best friend, sunrise, sunset and unfortunately also taxes. The word is a new one and didn't become common until after 1850 during the Industrial Revolution. Before things were mass produced, how reliable they were was not such an issue. Interesting fact: reliability is an American word, and the Brits scoffed at its new usage.
Vocabulary lists containing reliability
Monster
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Mechanical Engineering
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Structural Engineering
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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.
“Almost perfect” is exactly the kind of reliability that discourages backup plans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026
That is according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a nonprofit tasked with monitoring the reliability of the U.S. power system.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Some collapsed buildings were built through government programs in La Guaira, and “we always had some doubts about the reliability of the structures,” Schmitz said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2026
Those include battery life, AI reliability, comfort and privacy concerns.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026
Indeed, the year 1936 introduced a string of technical improvements yielding higher energies, higher currents, and unprecedented reliability.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
