reliability

Everyday

1. Reliability is how much you can trust someone or something to do what they should, every time. tree →
2. (science, maths) The reliability of a test or experiment is how much the results stay the same when you repeat it. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, doing an experiment several times and getting similar results shows reliability; scientists repeat measurements and take the average. In everyday life, the reliability of a car, a bus service or a friend is very important. In shopping, people compare the reliability of products. Phrases: "reliability of results", "improve reliability", "known for its reliability".

Examples

• We repeated the test three times to check the reliability of our results. tree →
• Grandad's old car is famous for its reliability. tree →
• The bus company has poor reliability; buses are often late. tree →
• Her reliability makes her a great team captain. tree →
• (formal) The reliability of the data was questioned. tree →
• The new phone was tested for reliability by dropping it many times. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Adjective: reliable; verb: rely (on). In science, reliable results are close to each other when repeated; this is not the same as accurate (close to the true value). A watch that is always 5 minutes slow is reliable but not accurate. Opposite: unreliability.