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Definition of reliable adjective from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

      

    reliable

     adjective
    adjective
    NAmE//rɪˈlaɪəbl//
     
     
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  1. 1that can be trusted to do something well; that you can rely on synonym dependable We are looking for someone who is reliable and hard-working. a reliable friend My car's not as reliable as it used to be.
  2. 2that is likely to be correct or true Our information comes from a reliable source. a reliable witness How reliable are the local weather forecasts? These tests are a reliable indicator of future performance. opposite unreliable AWL Collocationsrelyrely verbto need something or someone and not be able to live or work well without it/him/her
    • heavily
    • entirely, exclusively, solely
    • mainly, mostly, primarily, principally
    • extensively
    The author relies heavily on the primary sources of the literature.
    • tend to
    Larger volume commercial fruit and vegetable growers tend to rely on migrant labor to harvest crops.reliability noun
    • ascertain, assess, evaluate
    • improve
    • ensure
    • maximize
    To ensure the reliability of the experiments, all experiments were repeated two to three times.
    • a degree of ~
    • a level of ~
    Higher-accuracy instruments provide increased levels of reliability and confidence.reliable adjective
    • scientifically, statistically
    • highly
    • fairly, reasonably, sufficiently
    The data set used is too small to yield statistically reliable conclusions.
    • indicator, predictor
    • estimate
    • source
    The authors conclude that consumer credit is one of the most reliable indicators of an advanced civilization.
    • prove
    Tall buildings soak up radio waves, so landline communications might prove more reliable.unreliable adjective
    • inherently, intrinsically
    • notoriously
    • demonstrably
    • wholly
    • potentially
    • statistically
    Forecasters are notoriously unreliable at predicting things like the next wave of technological change. These models were statistically unreliable because of the very small sample sizes.
    • render something
    Technical difficulties in the design of experiments render data unreliable.
    • prove
    Prior efforts to identify this disorder proved unreliable and expensive.reliance noun
    • place
    • question
    • decrease, lessen, reduce
    • necessitate
    • preclude
    • entail
    These findings suggest that new industries lessen reliance on agriculture.
    • excessive, heavy, inordinate, undue
    • exclusive
    The almost exclusive reliance on memoirs and letters tells us how strongly the biographical element dominates Frank's work.
    3. rely verbreliable adjective (≠unreliable)reliably adverbreliability noun (≠unreliability)reliance noun
 reliability
 
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NAmE//rɪˌlaɪəˈbɪlət̮i//
 
noun [uncountable] The incident cast doubt on her motives and reliability. The reliability of these results has been questioned. The aircraft has an exceptional record of reliability.
 reliably
 
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NAmE//rɪˈlaɪəbli//
 
adverb I am reliably informed (= told by someone who knows the facts) that the company is being sold.See reliable in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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