fallible

Fallible describes the quality of being capable of making mistakes or being wrong. It is typically applied to people, but can also describe memories, perceptions, theories, methods, and systems that may fail to yield accurate results. The term emphasizes that error is possible rather than certain, and is often used to encourage caution, verification, and humility in judgment.

Etymology: fallible comes from the Latin fallibilis, formed from fallere, meaning to deceive or to err, with the suffix -bilis meaning able to be. The noun form is fallibility. The opposite form, infallible, denotes being incapable of error. In everyday language, fallibility signals a natural limit to human or mechanical judgment rather than a wholesale defect.

In usage, fallibility conveys a probabilistic or potential fault rather than an absolute defect. It is commonly used in discussions of memory, perception, scientific reasoning, and software or mechanical systems to acknowledge the possibility of error and the need for safeguards. Related terms include error-prone, fallibility, and the concept of epistemic humility.

Examples and implications: a fallible memory may recollect events inaccurately; eyewitness testimony can be fallible; a fallible algorithm may produce imperfect results. In philosophy and science, recognizing fallibility underpins practices such as hypothesis testing, replication, and peer review. Some discourses address the claim of infallibility in religion or authority and argue that acknowledging fallibility can strengthen critical inquiry and robustness.