Infallible Meaning
/ɪnˈfælɪbəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA person who, or an object or process that, is taken as being infallible.
adjWithout fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy.
Sentence Examples
He believes himself to be infallible.
Only God is infallible.
The justice system is not infallible; mistakes happen.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The new software is not ____; it still has several known bugs.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
No medical test is completely ____ there is always a very small chance of a wrong result.
Word Origin & History
From Medieval Latin infallibilis, from Latin in- + fallibilis. Compare French infaillible. By surface analysis, in- + fallible.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"[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:
"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:
"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:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The new software is not ____; it still has several known bugs.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
No medical test is completely ____ there is always a very small chance of a wrong result.