adj · noun · 6 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɪnˈfælɪbəl/
[ɪnˈfælɪbəl] ~ [ɪnˈfælɪbl̩]
/ɪɱˈfælɪbəl/
[ɪɱˈfælɪbəl] ~ [ɪɱˈfælɪbl̩]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ɪnˈfæləbəl/
[ɪnˈfæləbəl] ~ [ɪnˈfæləbl̩]
/ɪɱˈfæləbəl/
[ɪɱˈfæləbəl] ~ [ɪɱˈfæləbl̩]
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N F AE1 L AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He knows about many things, but even he is not infallible.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Certain to produce the intended effect; sure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Try this infallible cure for hiccups.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Certain to result from a specific cause; inevitable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A person who, or an object or process that, is taken as being infallible.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Any of the fourteen central religious figures believed by Twelver Shia Muslims to be infallible, consisting of Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, and the Twelve Imams recognized by Twelvers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Islam, lifestyle, religion
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective
Meaning 6
incapable of failure or error
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an infallible antidote
an infallible memory
the Catholic Church considers the Pope infallible
no doctor is infallible
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: fallible
History
Etymology
From Medieval Latin īnfallibilis, from Latin in- + fallibilis. Compare French infaillible. By surface analysis, in- + fallible.
Across languages
Translations
51 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
անսխալական
(ansxalakan)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Belarusian:
бясхі́бны
(bjasxíbny)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Belarusian:
беспахі́бны
(bjespaxíbny)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Belarusian:
непамы́льны
(njepamýlʹny)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Belarusian:
беспамылко́вы
(bjespamylkóvy)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Bulgarian:
непогреши́м
(nepogreším)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Bulgarian:
безпогре́шен
(bezpogréšen)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Catalan:
infal·lible
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Chinese Mandarin:
萬無一失 /万无一失
(wànwúyīshī)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Czech:
neomylný
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Danish:
ufejlbarlig
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Dutch:
onfeilbaar
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Esperanto:
neeraripova
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Finnish:
erehtymätön
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
French:
infaillible
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Galician:
infalible
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Galician:
infalíbel
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
German:
unfehlbar
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Greek:
αλάνθαστος
(alánthastos)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Greek:
αναμάρτητος
(anamártitos)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Ancient Greek:
νημερτής
(nēmertḗs)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Hungarian:
tévedhetetlen
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Hungarian:
csalhatatlan
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Italian:
infallibile
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Japanese:
全い
(mattai)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Japanese:
無欠の
(muketsu no)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Japanese:
無謬の
(mubyū no)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Japanese:
完璧な
(kampeki na)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Manx:
neushaghrynagh
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Navajo:
doo nidínéeshii
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Norwegian Bokmål:
ufeilbarlig
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Norwegian Nynorsk:
ufeilbarleg
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Polish:
nieomylny
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Polish:
niezawodny
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Portuguese:
infalível
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Russian:
непогреши́мый
(nepogrešímyj)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Russian:
безоши́бочный
(bezošíbočnyj)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Serbo-Croatian:
nepogrešiv
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Serbo-Croatian:
непогрешив
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Slovak:
neomylný
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Spanish:
infalible
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Spanish:
inmancable
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Swedish:
ofelbar
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Turkish:
yanılmaz
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Turkish:
şaşmaz
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Turkish:
mutlak
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Turkish:
muhakkak
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Ukrainian:
непогрі́шний
(nepohríšnyj)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Ukrainian:
непогріши́мий
(nepohrišýmyj)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Ukrainian:
безпомилко́вий
(bezpomylkóvyj)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
Ukrainian:
непохи́бний
(nepoxýbnyj)
— without fault or weakness; incapable of error or fallacy
