Standard Lemma guide

fallibilism

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈfælɪbɪlɪzəm/
  • făʹlĭ.bĭ.lĭ.zəm

1

noun

Meaning 1

The doctrine that knowledge is never certain, but always hypothetical and susceptible to correction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English fallible Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English fallibilism From fallible + -ism.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: fal·libilisme — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 可謬論 /可谬论 (kěmiùlùn) — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無法獲得明確知識的理論 — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 无法获得明确知识的理论 (wúfǎ huòdé míngquè zhīshi de lǐlùn) — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Czech: falibilismus — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Finnish: fallibilismi — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • French: faillibilisme — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Hungarian: fallibilizmus — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Polish: fallibilizm — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Portuguese: falibilismo — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Russian: фаллибили́зм (fallibilízm) — doctrine that knowledge is never certain
  • Spanish: falibilismo — doctrine that knowledge is never certain