unreliable

adjective

un·​re·​li·​able ˌən-ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl How to pronounce unreliable (audio)
: not reliable : undependable, untrustworthy
an unreliable friend
an unreliable source of funding
an unreliable car
unreliability noun
the unreliability of the data
a person with a reputation for unreliability
unreliably adverb
a method that works unreliably

Examples of unreliable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Of course, there are serious technical doubts about the practicality of weapons that depend on notoriously unreliable, not to mention toxic, nuclear power. Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025 Doing so would lead to an unreliable, inefficient energy grid. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025 Cheaper options or knock-offs tend to come with flimsy sockets, buzzing ballasts, or unreliable switches, which can make rooms look cheap or dated far sooner than expected and even create fire hazards. Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025 But agents at The Steller Group’s Senior Solutions Division often hear that the unexpected happens—maybe a medical emergency—that makes an older house unreliable for one partner’s physical needs. Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unreliable

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unreliable was in 1810

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Cite this Entry

“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreliable. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

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