reliable
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
Reliable, infallible, trustworthy apply to persons, objects, ideas, or information that can be depended upon with confident certainty. Reliable suggests consistent dependability of judgment, character, performance, or result: a reliable formula, judge, car, meteorologist. Infallible suggests the complete absence of error, breakdown, or poor performance: an infallible test, system, marksman. Trustworthy emphasizes the steady and honest dependability which encourages one's confidence, belief, or trust: trustworthy and accurate reports.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reliable
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How does reliable compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Calling something reliable means you can count on it to come through when you need it; it's dependable. If you're headed out for an around-the-world sailing trip, hopefully your lifejacket is reliable. You can certainly rely on something reliable because it's trustworthy and responsible. Reliable people usually show up on time, never flake out, and always tell the truth. A reliable car isn't likely to break down and will get you from place to place safely. And if you happen to lose your trusty sidekick, good luck looking for a reliable replacement.
Vocabulary lists containing reliable
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Positive Words to Describe a Person
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"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
The joke has always contained some affection; people like these bowls because they are easy, reliable and customizable.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
That stability could allow the magnetic system to resist small environmental disturbances that might otherwise interfere with its ability to provide reliable navigational information.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
And now researchers are warning that even this flimsy record of how these powerful technologies operate might become less reliable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
All have become guaranteed starters and reliable stars for England, with the Barcelona winger the latest to look, according to captain Kane, like one of the Three Lions' "main men".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
In medicine there were no reliable methods of measuring success until the nineteenth century.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
