fallibility
noun
fal·li·bil·i·ty ˌfa-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 
: liability to err
Did you know?
You'll find this word showing up in discussions of eyewitness testimony at crime scenes, of lie detectors, and of critical airplane parts. Some of us are most familiar with the fallibility of memory, especially when we remember something clearly that turns out never to have happened. Being fallible is part of being human, and sometimes the biggest errors are made by those who are thought of as the most brilliant of all.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web And yet the Swedish Academy may have abused the privilege of fallibility. 
David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2022 The other issue is simply one of human fallibility, as 96% of business leaders admit that human bias and emotion often distract from the end goal. Jon Chorley, Forbes, 5 May 2022 So, accept the inevitability of your own fallibility and welcome the opportunity to learn and grow. Thomas Aronica, Forbes, 29 June 2022 The willingness to flirt with failure, with just enough fallibility and insecurity to make failure seem possible, remains central to Cruise’s appeal. K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2022 The title character is given splendid voice by Chris Evans, balancing heroism and human fallibility with infectious warmth. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2022 There's so much room for humor and human fallibility. Arushi Sinha, Vogue, 2 June 2022 America’s judicial power reflected its English common-law heritage: By giving weight to earlier judges’ decisions, each new generation of judges would acknowledge their own fallibility and practice self-restraint. Adam J. White, WSJ, 23 May 2022 Penned by Alex Garland, Sunshine transcends its sensational premise by grappling with how the vastness of space exposes the fallibility of man, forcing him to reckon with the prospect of an all-knowing creator. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 2022 See More
David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2022 The other issue is simply one of human fallibility, as 96% of business leaders admit that human bias and emotion often distract from the end goal. Jon Chorley, Forbes, 5 May 2022 So, accept the inevitability of your own fallibility and welcome the opportunity to learn and grow. Thomas Aronica, Forbes, 29 June 2022 The willingness to flirt with failure, with just enough fallibility and insecurity to make failure seem possible, remains central to Cruise’s appeal. K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2022 The title character is given splendid voice by Chris Evans, balancing heroism and human fallibility with infectious warmth. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2022 There's so much room for humor and human fallibility. Arushi Sinha, Vogue, 2 June 2022 America’s judicial power reflected its English common-law heritage: By giving weight to earlier judges’ decisions, each new generation of judges would acknowledge their own fallibility and practice self-restraint. Adam J. White, WSJ, 23 May 2022 Penned by Alex Garland, Sunshine transcends its sensational premise by grappling with how the vastness of space exposes the fallibility of man, forcing him to reckon with the prospect of an all-knowing creator. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1608, in the meaning defined above