infallible en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɪɱˈfælɪbəl/
- [ɪɱˈfæləbəl] ~ [ɪɱˈfæləbl̩]
- (US) audio
- /ɪnˈfæləbəl/
- (Australia) audio
- [ɪnˈfælɪbəl] ~ [ɪnˈfælɪbl̩]
- [ɪɱˈfælɪbəl] ~ [ɪɱˈfælɪbl̩]
- [ɪnˈfæləbəl] ~ [ɪnˈfæləbl̩]
- /ɪɱˈfæləbəl/
- /ɪnˈfælɪbəl/
Etymology
From Medieval Latin īnfallibilis, from Latin in- + fallibilis. Compare French infaillible. By surface analysis, in- + fallible.
Meanings
-
Without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy.
He knows about many things, but even he is not infallible.
That there may be Certainty upon an infallible Evidence in Matters of Science, I readily grant you. But since there once were Scepticks in Philosophy as well as Religion, such as doubted of every thing, I very much question, whether the whole World be agreed in this Point; unless you could assure me, that Race of Seekers is now extinct.
1720, Samuel Fancourt, “The Remarker's second Objection produced and examined”, in An Essay Concerning Certainty and Infallibility, London: R. Cruttenden, page 35:
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Certain to produce the intended effect; sure.
[L]isten patiently [...] and you will easily perceive why I am reserved upon that subject. I will not lead you on, unguarded and ardent as I then was, to your destruction and infallible misery.
1818, Mary Shelley, chapter 4, in Frankenstein, archived from the original on 30 Oct 2011:Try this infallible cure for hiccups.
In precisely the same way does a quack doctor prescribe his infallible nostrum to every patient, without taking into account differences of constitution, or [...]
1833, James Rennie, “The Word Gardening”, in Alphabet of Scientific Gardening for the Use of Beginners, London: William Orr, page 2:
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Certain to result from a specific cause; inevitable.
Paley can only account for this fact by saying that we are constrained by the fear of punishment in a future life, such having been declared to us by revelation to be the infallible result of wrong action.
1871, Alexander Grant, “On the Nature and Origin of the Moral Ideas”, in Papers Read at the Meetings of the Metaphysical Society:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more infallible | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most infallible | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
error-prone · defective · imperfect · faulty · faultful · fallible
Deriveds
infallibleness · noninfallible
Relateds
Synonyms
perfect · indefective · faultless · inerrant
Translations (51)
sv ofelbar (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · pt infalível (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · uk безпомилко́вий (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · sk neomylný (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · gl infalíbel (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · tr mutlak (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · grc νημερτής (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · uk непогріши́мий (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · ja 無謬の (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · nv doo nidínéeshii (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · sh nepogrešiv (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · es infalible (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · tr muhakkak (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · be беспахі́бны (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · ja 完璧な (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · ja 全い (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · es inmancable (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · bg безпогре́шен (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · bg непогреши́м (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · cs neomylný (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · pl nieomylny (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · sh непогрешив (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · da ufejlbarlig (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · de unfehlbar (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · uk непогрі́шний (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · ca infal·lible (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · pl niezawodny (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · hu csalhatatlan (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · nl onfeilbaar (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · nb ufeilbarlig (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · fr infaillible (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · tr şaşmaz (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · be бясхі́бны (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · hu tévedhetetlen (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · gl infalible (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · ru непогреши́мый (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · be беспамылко́вы (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · fi erehtymätön (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · it infallibile (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · el αλάνθαστος (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · be непамы́льны (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · hy անսխալական (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · cmn 萬無一失 /万无一失 (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · el αναμάρτητος (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · tr yanılmaz (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · nn ufeilbarleg (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · ru безоши́бочный (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · gv neushaghrynagh (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · uk непохи́бний (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · ja 無欠の (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy) · eo neeraripova (without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy)