Meaning & use
human fallibility
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Meaning
noununcountable
the quality of being capable of making mistakes, which is natural for all people
Grammar: Uncountable; used with a singular verb. You can say 'a recognition of human fallibility' but not 'a human fallibility'.
Patterns
- human fallibility
- the fallibility of humans
The judge's decision was influenced by a belief in human fallibility.
Science progresses by acknowledging human fallibility and testing ideas repeatedly.
Her novel explores human fallibility through the mistakes of its characters.
Common combinations
- acknowledge human fallibility
- Good leaders acknowledge human fallibility and allow room for error.
- belief in human fallibility
- His belief in human fallibility made him a cautious investor.
- human fallibility and error
- The report discussed human fallibility and error in medical diagnosis.
Synonyms and how they differ
- imperfection
- Broader; it can refer to flaws in things, not just the human tendency to make mistakes.
- fallibility
- The base noun; 'human fallibility' emphasizes that it applies to people.
Opposites
Word family
- fallible adjective
- Capable of making mistakes.
- fallibly adverb
- In a manner that shows the possibility of error.
Commonly confused: human fallibility or human frailty?
human fallibility vs human frailty
Refers to physical or moral weakness, not just the capacity for error.
Practice
The philosopher argued that ______ is inevitable, so we should design systems that tolerate mistakes.
Choose one answer.
'Human fallibility' is the abstract quality of being prone to error, which fits the philosophical context. 'Human error' refers to a specific mistake, and 'human frailty' suggests weakness rather than the capacity for error.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “human fallibility”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.