an unreliable source

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an unreliable source" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to information or data that cannot be trusted or verified. Example: "When conducting research, it's important to avoid citing an unreliable source to ensure the credibility of your work."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

Some cynics (we've all had them as University tutors) say these crowd-sourced editing wars prove Wikipedia as an unreliable source.

Vice

McKibben relied on an unreliable source.

The New York Times - Books

Some intelligence may be bad, or from an unreliable source.

The New York Times

It sees online advertising as an unreliable source of revenue.

The Economist

Thomas Gravesen: soon to be United's No1 midfield enforcer according to an unreliable source in Denmark.

The Guardian - Sport

They portrayed Thompson as an unreliable source who gave conflicting accounts in interviews with investigators.

The Washington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

This aspect of pain assessment is essential, because even residents with cognitive impairment should be engaged with eye contact and inquiries into their level of comfort and not discounted as a unreliable source.

Clinical interventions in aging

In recognition of the fact that work is becoming an increasingly unreliable source of income and security, we also need to seriously consider proposals to delink work from wages – an idea being explored in the resurgent discussion around a universal basic income.

The Guardian

The problem for the FBI was that Whitacre, who is played by Matt Damon, was a very unreliable source, with more than a touch of Walter Mitty about him.

Independent

Our colleague Robert Costa has reported that White House aides have internally circulated an article on Breitbart titled "Mark Levin to Congress: Investigate Obama's 'Silent Coup' vs. Trump". Breitbart is a right-leaning news organization that is a rather unreliable source of information.

The Washington Post

But claims that knife crime is now increasing are based on a notoriously unreliable source – police-recorded crime statistics, no longer designated as national statistics because of concerns about data integrity.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with specific evidence to strengthen your argument, such as citing a time gap or a history of inaccuracies.

Common error

Do not use "an unreliable source" as a synonym for an "anonymous source". A source can be anonymous yet highly reliable (like a whistleblower), while a named source can be completely unreliable due to bias or incompetence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an unreliable source" functions as a noun phrase consisting of an indefinite article, an adjective and a head noun. According to Ludwig AI, it is primarily used as a direct object or within prepositional phrases to categorize the quality of an information provider.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

20%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an unreliable source" is a highly effective and grammatically correct way to describe untrustworthy information. Data from Ludwig shows it is Very common in high-stakes environments like journalism and scientific research. It is essential to use the correct indefinite article "an" to maintain professional standards. While synonyms like "a questionable source" exist, the main query remains the most standard choice for indicating that a source cannot be verified or trusted. Always distinguish this from anonymity, as the two concepts are not interchangeable in rigorous writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an untrustworthy source

Emphasizes the lack of integrity or honesty in the source providing the data.

a questionable source

Suggests that the source is open to doubt or suspicion rather than definitively untrustworthy.

a dubious source

Highlights a feeling of hesitation or doubt regarding the truth of the source.

an unverified source

Indicates that the information has not yet been confirmed, which may be a temporary state.

an unauthenticated resource

Uses more formal language often related to digital or historical document verification.

an invalid source

Suggests the source is not recognized as legitimate or officially sanctioned.

a suspect informant

More specific to human sources of information, often used in investigative contexts.

a biased source

Identifies that the lack of reliability stems specifically from a lack of neutrality.

an inaccurate informant

Focuses on the incorrectness of the output rather than the general reliability of the source.

a sketchy source

A more informal or colloquial way to describe a source that lacks detail or seems suspicious.

FAQs

How to use "an unreliable source" in a sentence?

You can use "an unreliable source" to describe information you don't trust. For example: "The newspaper retracted the story after realizing it was based on "an unreliable source"."

What can I say instead of "an unreliable source"?

Common alternatives include "a questionable source", "an untrustworthy source" or "a dubious informant" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "a" or "an" unreliable source?

The grammatically correct form is "an unreliable source" because the word "unreliable" begins with a vowel sound. While Ludwig examples show occasional errors like "a unreliable source", these are non-standard.

What is the difference between "an unreliable source" and "a biased source"?

While "an unreliable source" might simply be inaccurate or unverified, "a biased source" specifically implies a lack of neutrality or a hidden agenda that skews the information provided.