fallible

American  

[fal-uh-buhl] / ˈfæl ə bəl /

adjective

1. (of persons) liable to err, especially in being deceived or mistaken.

2. liable to be erroneous or false; not accurate.

   fallible information.

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fallible British  

/ ˈfælɪbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being mistaken; erring

2. liable to mislead

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Other Word Forms

• fallibility noun
• fallibleness noun
• fallibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of fallible

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin fallibilis, equivalent to Latin fall(ī) (passive of fallere “to deceive”) + -ibilis -ible

Explanation

As humans we are all fallible, because fallible means likely to make errors or fail. Nobody's perfect, after all. Fall down on the job and you're fallible. It's a forgiving way to say you screwed up. If a scientific experiment's data is fallible, that means you can't trust the numbers. More than just locking your keys in the car, fallible can allude to a lack of moral strength. If in addition to locking your keys in the car, you kissed your best friend's husband, you might try using "I'm fallible" as your defense.

Example Sentences

Clemency used to be a consistent failsafe for an often fallible system.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

So long as human bodies are fallible to disease, we will need labs studying viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites to see which ones could cause major problems.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

Bentley leveled the playing field by creating a fallible detective against whom the reader could compete.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Such struggles are reminders of how the Dodgers remain fallible in their pursuit of another World Series.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2025

It is a surprise that we haven’t already learned that the word is a fallible incantation.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• faulty
• frail
• imperfect
• untrustworthy