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