English Meaning & Definitions
Not able to be relied upon or trusted; inconsistent, unpredictable, or likely to fail.
- “The witness gave an unreliable account of the events, contradicting their previous statement.”
- “We had to cancel the trip because the old car proved to be completely unreliable.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “unreliable”.
Formed from the prefix 'un-' (not) + 'reliable'. 'Reliable' derives from the verb 'rely', which comes from the Middle French 'relier' (to rally, bind together), ultimately from the Latin 'religare' (to bind fast). The word emerged in the early 19th century to describe something or someone that cannot be counted upon.
Think of 'un-' (not) + 'rely' (trust) + 'able' (capable). If you are 'not-rely-able', you cannot be trusted.
Frequently Asked Questions About “unreliable”
1. What is the meaning of “unreliable” in English?
In English, unreliable (adjective) is defined as: “Not able to be relied upon or trusted; inconsistent, unpredictable, or likely to fail.”.
2. How do you use “unreliable” in a sentence?
“The witness gave an unreliable account of the events, contradicting their previous statement.”
3. What are English synonyms of “unreliable”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “unreliable”?
Formed from the prefix 'un-' (not) + 'reliable'. 'Reliable' derives from the verb 'rely', which comes from the Middle French 'relier' (to rally, bind together), ultimately from the Latin 'religare' (to bind fast). The word emerged in the early 19th century to describe something or someone that cannot be counted upon.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.