reliable

adjective

re·li·able | \ ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl

Definition of reliable

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : suitable or fit to be relied on : dependable

2 : giving the same result on successive trials

reliable

noun

Definition of reliable (Entry 2 of 2)

: one that is reliable

Other Words from reliable Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about reliable

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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

Photo: kevin lamarque/Reuters If companies do decide to relocate supply chains away from China, Canada and Mexico are now obvious alternatives to the U.S., with reliable market access as well as trade deals elsewhere. — James Mackintosh, WSJ, "Trading on Uncertainty About Tariffs," 4 Dec. 2018 The change will start in Utah and Idaho and be instituted around the world by end of the year for places with reliable internet access, the church said. — Brady Mccombs, Fox News, "No more snail mail: Mormons to receive mission calls online," 6 Sep. 2018 The Council’s cap will hurt riders outside Manhattan who have come to rely on Uber because their communities have long been ignored by yellow taxis and do not have reliable access to public transit. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Uber and Lyft are facing a major crackdown in New York City," 27 July 2018 Locals are anxious to see the agency return to reliable service, said Loberg, the Tisbury Board of Selectmen member. — John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, "Mechanical issues cause Steamship Authority to cancel two trips Sunday morning," 8 July 2018 Federal officials say that would be in line with requirements but could leave NJ Transit with fewer resources to maintain reliable service. — Jason Laughlin, Philly.com, "After Philly crash, railroads got more time to install a key safety system. Three years later, some still lag behind," 3 July 2018 The next step should be targeted policies to close the homework gap, the inevitable achievement gap that occurs when a student is unable to complete schoolwork at home due to a lack of reliable Internet access. — Nancy Webb, charlotteobserver, "Our NC Influencers weigh in on reader education question," 2 July 2018 The conflict has displaced millions, demolished the economy of a nation that was already one of the poorest in the world and left many people without reliable access to food. — Megan Specia, New York Times, "Warring Leaders of South Sudan Meet for Peace Talks," 21 June 2018 Thomas Lord, Lime’s general manager, said the company is excited to be part of the ongoing conversations with the city and doesn’t think the tougher regulations would stand in its way of offering a reliable service. — Melissa Etehad, latimes.com, "Santa Monica proposes tougher rules for Bird and other scooter rental companies," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The general public now, however, would see Mr. Trump’s generals as the reliables, the dependables, the sophisticates of the administration. — Peggy Noonan, WSJ, "Let Calm and Cool Trump ‘Fire and Fury’," 10 Aug. 2017 North Korea's weekend launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile further demonstrated that the country is consistently trying to come up with new, better ways to keep its nuclear deterrent reliable and safe from attack. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "What's Different About North Korea's Latest Missile Test," 13 Feb. 2017 Also submitted for our hilarity are such reliables as the pot-smoking old lady and the elaborate cake that will never reach the finale intact. — Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, "Review: At ‘Table 19,’ Random Wedding Guests Straining to Laugh," 2 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reliable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.