fallibility
C1Formal, academic
Definition
Meaning
The state or quality of being liable to make mistakes or be wrong.
The inherent and unavoidable capacity for human judgment, systems, or processes to contain errors or flaws, often used in philosophical, scientific, and organizational contexts to acknowledge limitations.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
An abstract noun describing a general quality, not a single instance of error. Implies a systemic or inherent weakness in judgment or design, rather than a one-off blunder. Often used to discuss human nature, institutions, or methodologies.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or usage differences. Both varieties use the word identically.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly formal in both. Carries a philosophical or analytical nuance.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in formal academic and philosophical writing in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
acknowledge/recognise the fallibility of [something]be aware of one's own fallibilitya reminder of human fallibilitythe inherent fallibility of [system/method]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A nod to human fallibility”
- “A concession to fallibility”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in risk management discussions: 'Our protocol must account for human fallibility.'
Academic
Common in philosophy, history of science, psychology: 'The fallibility of eyewitness testimony is well-documented.'
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. Might appear in thoughtful discussion: 'We have to accept our own fallibility.'
Technical
Used in fields like software engineering (fault-tolerant systems) or quality assurance.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The study aims to quantify how memory can fallibly reconstruct events.
American English
- The system was designed to fail safely, recognizing that operators can fallibly misinterpret signals.
adverb
British English
- The data was fallibly recorded by hand, leading to inconsistencies.
American English
- He argued fallibly that the process was flawless, ignoring contrary evidence.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Everyone makes mistakes – it's part of human fallibility.
- The legal system has to consider the fallibility of eyewitness accounts.
- Popper's philosophy of science is built upon the principle of the inherent fallibility of all scientific theories.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'FALL-ibility' – we are all liable to FALL into error.
Conceptual Metaphor
HUMAN JUDGMENT IS A FRAGILE/CORRUPTIBLE TOOL.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'ошибочность' (more 'mistakenness') or 'ненадёжность' (unreliability). The closer conceptual equivalent is 'погрешимость'.
- Do not confuse with 'fallacy' (логическая ошибка/заблуждение).
Common Mistakes
- Confusing spelling with 'fallacy' or 'feasibility'.
- Using it to describe a specific mistake rather than the general capacity for error (e.g., 'He made a fallibility' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'fallibility' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A mistake is a single instance of being wrong. Fallibility is the general quality or tendency of a person or system to be capable of making mistakes.
'Human fallibility' is a very common and strong collocation, used to discuss the universal limitations of human judgment and perception.
It is neutral, but acknowledging fallibility is often seen as a sign of wisdom, humility, and realistic thinking, which carries a positive connotation.
A 'fallacy' is a specific error in reasoning. 'Fallibility' is the general susceptibility to such errors. A fallacy is an example of fallibility in action.
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