reliable

adjective

re·li·able | \ ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl

How to pronounce reliable (audio)

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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 About $500 to $800 gets you a recreational kayak that is sturdy, reliable, and even a little comfortable. — Jon Turk, Popular Mechanics, "How To Get Started in Kayaking," 27 Apr. 2021 Electronics companies can’t because less invasive sensors aren’t as reliable. — Washington Post, "Your tech devices want to read your brain. What could go wrong?," 27 Apr. 2021 Economical, organized, efficient, reliable, honest. — New York Times, "Bethenny Frankel Is Back on TV Because ‘I Know What People Want to See’," 23 Apr. 2021 Relatable, reliable, and genuine—a feat few of her food world colleagues have been able to replicate. — Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, "Food Trends Come and Go, but Nigella Lawson Is Forever," 20 Apr. 2021 Lawmakers are first correctly focusing on the heart of the problem — promoting reliable energy sources and delivering it to our households and businesses at affordable rates. — Dave Lieber, Dallas News, "In the high-stakes game of electricity reform, let’s push all poker chips to the center of the table," 1 Apr. 2021 The charge is inaccurate and misleading, according to multiple reliable sources. — Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY, "Fact check: Judge did not rule Dominion Voting Systems machines engineered to yield fraud," 30 Mar. 2021 The problem with wind and solar power is that investment in unreliable renewable sources has displaced investment in electricity generation from reliable energy sources. — Wayne Christian, WSJ, "Texas’ Blackouts Blew In on the Wind," 19 Mar. 2021 Still, those who monitor Spanish-language content online describe an information void, or dearth of reliable sources with large enough followings to consistently debunk falsehoods. — Will Weissert, Chron, "From vote to virus, misinformation campaign targets Latinos," 7 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Some are venerable right-wing reliables like National Review, The Washington Times, or Newsmax. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "The Boundless Grift of Right-Wing Media Watchdogs," 4 Sep. 2019 Atleti's biggest transformation comes at the heart of their defence, as old reliables Filipe Luis, Juanfran and captain Diego Godin were released when their contracts expired. — SI.com, "Atlético Madrid: 6 Reasons for Los Rojiblancos Fans to Be Optimistic This Season," 19 Aug. 2019 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.

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Dictionary Entries near reliable

reliability coefficient

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Last Updated

2 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Reliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reliable. Accessed 9 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for reliable

reliable

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of reliable

: able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed : able to be relied on

: able to be believed : likely to be true or correct

See the full definition for reliable in the English Language Learners Dictionary

reliable

adjective

re·li·able | \ ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl

\

Kids Definition of reliable

: fit to be trusted or relied on: dependable reliable information

reliable

adjective

re·li·able | \ ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl

\

Medical Definition of reliable

: giving the same result on successive trials a reliable psychological test

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