reliability
Americannoun
-
reliabilities
plural
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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Civil 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.
See Examples For:
Nevada draws roughly a third of its power from the sun, and Gov. Joe Lombardo’s pitch was about jobs, reliability and cost, which is a winning argument nationwide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
“I know the catastrophic mechanical issues that have plagued Metrolink trains this year have severely undermined the reliability of the system and the confidence of the riders,” said L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
In general, confidence around sodium ion batteries' reliability has increased during the last few years, says Prof Dame Grey, meaning they are now finding their way into grid storage applications.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
They cautioned that radio frequency interference could disrupt measurements, reduce data quality or availability and thereby compromise the reliability of forecasts and alerts, affecting authorities' ability to prepare for and respond to environmental hazards.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
It rankles—at some deep personal, physical level—to know that the many engaging qualities I believe I have to offer—friendliness, reliability, willingness to learn— can all be trumped by my pee.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Pyongyang has released footage of undersea missile launches, but the projectiles’ reliabilities and capabilities are unknown.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
But there is a great difference in the reliabilities of reports made by trained and by untrained men.
From The Business of Mining A brief non-technical exposition of the principles involved in the profitable operation of mines by Arthur J. Hoskin
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.
