Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!)

Literary notes about reliable (AI summary)

The term "reliable" is deployed with a wide range of nuances in literature, functioning as a marker of trustworthiness and dependability in both tangible and abstract realms. In historical or factual contexts, it designates sources or data deemed accurate and unerring, whether referring to trustworthy documents [1], solid observations [2], or scientific measurements [3]. In narratives, characters or their statements are often described as reliable to accentuate their honesty or competence, as when a witness is seen as perfectly reliable [4] or a friend's loyalty is underscored by being reliable through hardship [5]. The word also serves metaphorical roles, highlighting consistency in processes or systems, such as a uniformly ticking whale in nature [6] or a methodologically sound approach in philosophy [7].
  1. (contains also the Letters of Libanius), is the only reliable MS. of Julian, and was once complete except for a few Letters .
    — from The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 1 by Emperor of Rome Julian
  2. What we get from the country is solid, substantial, enduring, reliable.
    — from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden
  3. The amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, contained in different foods, has been accurately determined by many able and reliable chemists.
    — from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
  4. I have spoken with this policeman to-night and he appears to me to be a perfectly reliable person.
    — from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
  5. No better friend—none more reliable through this life of one's ups and downs.
    — from Complete Prose Works by Walt Whitman
  6. The Sperm Whale blows as a clock ticks, with the same undeviating and reliable uniformity.
    — from Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville
  7. This was required for metaphysics in order to construct its system according to a reliable method.
    — from Kant's Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics by Immanuel Kant

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux