# reliable

Pronunciation: say "ri-LY-uh-buhl" /ɹɪˈlaɪəbəl/

## Adjective

1. Able to be depended on or trusted; consistently performing as expected.
   - Simple: Able to be trusted to work well or do what is needed.
   - _The new train service has proven remarkably reliable over its first year._
   - _Investors look for companies with reliable earnings year after year._
3. Describes data transmission in which a sent packet either reaches its destination, with retransmission if needed, or the sender is notified of the failure.
   - Simple: Describes a way of sending data that makes sure it arrives, or tells the sender if it does not.
   - _Reliable protocols like TCP retransmit any packets that fail to arrive._
   - _Engineers chose a reliable transport layer so dropped data would trigger a resend._

## Noun

2. A person or thing that can be depended on; one that consistently performs as needed.
   - Simple: A person or thing that can be trusted to do its job well.
   - _Every newsroom has its reliables: the writers who never miss a deadline._
   - _When the power failed, the old backup generator proved a true reliable._

## Origin

Formed from the verb "rely" combined with the suffix "-able".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/reliable (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).