Word Study
reliable
CIDE DICTIONARY
reliable, a.
Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependance or reliance; trustworthy. A. Norton. [1913 Webster]
" Some authors take exception to this word, maintaining that it is unnecessary, and irregular in formation. It is, however, sanctioned by the practice of many careful writers as a most convenient substitute for the phrase to be relied upon, and a useful synonym for trustworthy, which is by preference applied to persons, as reliable is to things, such as an account, statement, or the like. The objection that adjectives derived from neuter verbs do not admit of a passive sense is met by the citation of laughable, worthy of being laughed at, from the neuter verb to laugh; available, fit or able to be availed of, from the neuter verb to avail; dispensable, capable of being dispensed with, from the neuter verb to dispense. Other examples might be added." [1913 Webster]
"The best means, and most reliable pledge, of a higher object." [1913 Webster]
"According to General Livingston's humorous account, his own village of Elizabethtown was not much more reliable, being peopled in those agitated times by “unknown, unrecommended strangers, guilty-looking Tories, and very knavish Whigs.”" [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
reliable, adj.
1 that may be relied on.
2 of sound and consistent character or quality.
1 that may be relied on.
2 of sound and consistent character or quality.
Derivative
reliability n. reliableness n. reliably adv.
THESAURUS
reliable
absolute, accurate, adducible, admissible, apposite, attestative, attested, attestive, authentic, authenticated, balanced, based on, believable, calculable, certain, circumstantial, circumstantiated, cogent, colorable, compelling, conceivable, conclusive, confirmed, conscientious, convincing, cool, credible, cumulative, damning, decisive, dependable, determinative, documentary, documented, evidential, evidentiary, ex parte, eye-witness, factual, fail-safe, faithful, faithworthy, fast, fiducial, fiduciary, final, firm, firm as Gibraltar, firsthand, founded on, grounded on, guaranteed, harmless, hearsay, honest, honorable, imperturbable, implicit, in equilibrium, incontrovertible, incorruptible, indicative, indisputable, inerrable, inerrant, infallible, invincible, inviolable, invulnerable, irrefutable, irresistible, material, meaningful, nuncupative, overwhelming, plausible, predictable, presumptive, principled, probative, proven, punctilious, reputable, responsible, riskless, safe, secure, significant, solid, sound, stable, staunch, steadfast, steady, straight, substantial, suggestive, sure, surefire, symptomatic, telling, tenable, tested, to be trusted, tried, tried and true, true, trustable, trusted, trustworthy, trusty, undangerous, unerring, unexceptionable, unfailing, unfalse, unflappable, unflinching, unhazardous, unimpeachable, unperfidious, unperilous, unprecarious, unquestionable, unrisky, unshakable, untreacherous, unwavering, valid, validated, verified, warranteed, weighty, well-balanced, well-founded, well-grounded, without nerves, worthy of faithROGET THESAURUS
reliable
Certainty
N certainty, necessity, certitude, surety, assurance, dead certainty, moral certainty, infallibleness, infallibility, reliability, indubitableness, inevitableness, unquestionableness, gospel, scripture, church, pope, court of final appeal, res judicata, ultimatum positiveness, dogmatism, dogmatist, dogmatizer, doctrinaire, bigot, opinionist, Sir Oracle, ipse dixit, fact, positive fact, matter of fact, fait accompli, certain, sure, assured, solid, well-founded, unqualified, absolute, positive, determinate, definite, clear, unequivocal, categorical, unmistakable, decisive, decided, ascertained, inevitable, unavoidable, avoidless, ineluctable, unerring, infallible, unchangeable, to be depended on, trustworthy, reliable, bound, unimpeachable, undeniable, unquestionable, indisputable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indubitable, irrefutable, conclusive, without power of appeal, indubious, without doubt, beyond a doubt, without a shade or shadow of doubt, without question, beyond question, past dispute, clear as day, beyond all question, beyond all dispute, undoubted, uncontested, unquestioned, undisputed, questionless, doubtless, authoritative, authentic, official, sure as fate, sure as death and taxes, sure as a gun, evident, self-evident, axiomatic, clear, clear as day, clear as the sun at noonday, certainly, for certain, certes, sure, no doubt, doubtless, and no mistake, flagrante delicto, sure enough, to be sure, of course, as a matter of course, a coup sur, to a certainty, in truth, at any rate, at all events, without fail, coute que coute, coute qu'il coute, whatever may happen, if the worst come to the worst, come what may, happen what may, come what will, sink or swim, rain or shine, cela va sans dire, there is no question, no question, not a shadow of doubt, there is not a shadow of doubt, the die is cast, facts are stubborn things.Belief
N belief, credence, credit, assurance, faith, trust, troth, confidence, presumption, sanguine expectation, dependence on, reliance on, persuasion, conviction, convincement, plerophory, self- conviction, certainty, opinion, mind, view, conception, thinking, impression, surmise, conclusion, tenet, dogma, principle, way of thinking, popular belief, firm belief, implicit belief, settled belief, fixed rooted deep- rooted belief, staunch belief, unshaken belief, steadfast belief, inveterate belief, calm belief, sober belief, dispassionate belief, impartial belief, well-founded belief, firm opinion, implicit opinion, settled opinion, fixed rooted deep-rooted opinion, staunch opinion, unshaken opinion, steadfast opinion, inveterate opinion, calm opinion, sober opinion, dispassionate opinion, impartial opinion, well-founded opinion, uberrima fides, system of opinions, school, doctrine, articles, canons, article of faith, declaration of faith, profession of faith, tenets, credenda, creed, thirty-nine articles, catechism, assent, propaganda, credibility, believing, certain, sure, assured, positive, cocksure, satisfied, confident, unhesitating, convinced, secure, under the impression, impressed with, imbued with, penetrated with, confiding, suspectless, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, void of suspicion, credulous, wedded to, believed, accredited, putative, unsuspected, worthy of, deserving of, commanding belief, credible, reliable, trustworthy, to be depended on, satisfactory, probably, fiducial, fiduciary, persuasive, impressive, relating to belief, doctrinal, in the opinion of, in the eyes of, me judice, meseems, methinks, to the best of one's belief, I dare say, I doubt not, I have no doubt, I am sure, sure enough, depend upon, rely upon it, be assured, rest assured, I'll warrant you, experto crede, fata viam invenient, Justitiae soror incorrupta Fides, live to explain thy doctrine by thy life, stands not within the prospect of belief, tarde quae credita laedunt credimus, vide et crede.For further exploring for "reliable" in Webster Dictionary Online