Words / B2

unr-i-LEYE-uh-bl/ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbl/

Unreliable means not to be trusted or depended on: unreliable narrator; unreliable data; an unreliable bus. Reliable is the opposite. Untrustworthy stresses character; inaccurate stresses facts. Do not call a one-off delay proof that a whole system is unreliable without evidence. Academic: unreliable sources.

Meaning

Not able to be trusted or depended on.

Examples

• “An unreliable citation weakened the literature review.”
• “The last train is unreliable on Sundays, which is why they booked a hotel.”

Good to know

unreliable data / witness / service. Opposite: reliable. Character: untrustworthy. Facts: inaccurate. Academic: unreliable sources. Need a pattern, not one incident.

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