fallible
adjective
Did you know?
“Humanum est errare” is a Latin expression that translates as “To err is human.” Of course, cynics might say that it is also human to deceive. The history of the word fallible simultaneously recognizes both of these character flaws. In modern usage, fallible refers to one’s ability to make mistakes, but it descends from the Latin verb fallere, which means “to deceive.” Fallible has been used to describe the potential for error since at least the 15th century. Other descendants of fallere in English, all of which actually predate fallible, include fallacy (the earliest, now obsolete, meaning was “guile, trickery”), fault, false, and even fjail. Whoops, we mean fail.
Examples of fallible in a Sentence
Ayad Akhtar, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024
Expecting one fallible human being to bear the burden of such power and responsibility is dangerous and unnecessary.
—Anthony Lake, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2024
Her belief is that humans are fallible, feeble creatures that will always careen toward their own destruction.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
It’s universally accepted—but almost as universally overlooked—that people are fallible.
—Mike Murchison, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fallible 
Dictionary Entries Near fallible
Cite this Entry
“Fallible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fallible. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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fallible
adjective
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