reliable

1 of 3

adjective

re·​li·​able ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl 

1

: suitable or fit to be relied on : dependable

2

: giving the same result on successive trials

reliableness noun

reliably

ri-ˈlī-ə-blē 

adverb

reliable

2 of 3

noun (1)

: one that is reliable

reliableness

3 of 3

noun (2)

re·​li·​able·​ness

plural -es

: reliability

Synonyms of reliable

Adjective

• responsible
• safe
• true
• good
• steady
• dependable
• solid
• trustworthy
• secure
• loyal

Examples of reliable in a Sentence

Adjective

He's not very reliable. You can't always count on him to do what he says he'll do.

We can't write a report without reliable data.

We need more reliable information before we can take action.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Hence, a turbine operating hundreds of meters above the ground has access to a larger and potentially more reliable energy resource than a conventional turbine. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

Commonly used to carry messages, pigeons became less useful to people after World War II as radio, telephone and other electronic communications became reliable. — Kyle Melnick The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026

Noun

Then there are the old reliables that haven’t necessarily been nominated in recent years but are always in the conversation such as Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Real Time with Bill Maher and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. — Peter White, Deadline, 11 June 2026

With 50 seconds remaining in the Warriors’ play-in game against the host Clippers at Intuit Dome, Golden State’s two aging Hall of Famers went back to old reliable. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1852, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reliable

• classifiable
• justifiable
• modifiable
• notifiable
• satisfiable
• specifiable
• undeniable
• unreliable
• verifiable
• emulsifiable
• identifiable
• unclassifiable

Kids Definition

reliable

adjective

re·​li·​able

ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl

: fit to be trusted : dependable

reliableness noun

reliably

-blē

adverb

Medical Definition

reliable

adjective

re·​li·​able ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl 

: giving the same result on successive trials

a reliable psychological test