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fallibility

noun

fal·​li·​bil·​i·​ty ˌfa-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce fallibility (audio)
: liability to err

Did you know?

You'll find this word showing up in discussions of eyewitness testimony at crime scenes, of lie detectors, and of critical airplane parts. Some of us are most familiar with the fallibility of memory, especially when we remember something clearly that turns out never to have happened. Being fallible is part of being human, and sometimes the biggest errors are made by those who are thought of as the most brilliant of all.

Examples of fallibility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thiaw’s night to forget After delivering 26 borderline-imperious appearances for Newcastle, finally Thiaw showed genuine fallibility. Chris Waugh, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026 Penned by Alex Garland, Sunshine transcends its sensational premise by grappling with how the vastness of space exposes the fallibility of man, forcing him to reckon with the prospect of an all-knowing creator. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Jan. 2026 Industry is about naked ambition meeting the limitations of human fallibility. Grace Byron, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025 Ritrovata is to be reminded afresh of the tangibility of film, not to mention its fallibility. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fallibility

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fallibility was in 1608

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fallibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fallibility. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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