Reliable
/rɪˈlaɪ.ə.bəl/noun
Able to be trusted to do what is needed or expected; consistently good in quality or performance.
Did you know?Reliable is built from the same Latin root behind *ligament* and *religion*—the ancient idea of being “bound” or “tied,” so trust was once a kind of binding force.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
ligare
“to bind, tie”
Late Latin
Latin
religare
“to bind back, rebind”
Old French
Old French
reliable
“liable to be relied on”
16th Century
English
reliable
“fit to be relied upon”
Modern English
English
reliable
“consistently trustworthy or dependable”