rə̇ˈlīəbəl, rēˈ- adjective
Etymology: rely + -able
: suitable or fit to be relied on
reliable witness
reliable history
: worthy of dependence or reliance : of proven consistency in producing satisfactory results
reliable recipe
reliable remedy
specifically : giving the same results on successive trials
reliable intelligence test
reliable measuring device
Synonyms:
dependable , trustworthy , trusty , tried : reliable describes what can be counted on or trusted in to do as expected or to be truthful
a reliable employee
reliable guards at the gates
reliable on duty, but a wild, desperate fellow off the deck of his ship — A. Conan Doyle
a reliable machine
reliable testimony
dependable is a close synonym for reliable and may indicate a steady predictability or trustworthiness or reliability worthy of fullest confidence
a dependable workman
dependable amounts of rainfall
a dependable hard-working physician
the most dependable of our allies
trustworthy indicates meriting confidence for proved soundness, integrity, veracity, judgment, or ability
after considerable deliberation on the part of the captain and mate, four of the seamen were pitched upon as the most trustworthy — Herman Melville
his careful use of sources makes him the first trustworthy American historian — American Guide Series: Massachusetts
trusty implies that the person or thing described has been tested and found dependable
trusty servants who have been with us for some time — A. Conan Doyle
tried likewise stresses proved dependability
the men who fought there were the tried fighters, the hammered, the weather-beaten, the very hard-dying men — S.V.Benét